Mahou Sensei Kain Act 4
by Chris-Sasami-Bunny
Summary: As promised the continued and Epic adventures of Sensei Kain and his mixed anime girls. Yes, there are a few from negima, but they also come from Mai Hime, Slayers, Eva, Inu-Yasha (the man himself will appear in a much later act...), Sailor Moon, and much much more. If you are looking for crazy fun, you will find it here.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer__: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors)._

Prologue

Lina stared at the picture. "What is this?" she muttered, almost in disgust. "What's Kain doing surrounded by all these girls?"

Indeed, the smiling _sensei_ was surrounded by his students—Alyssa, Miyu, Mai, Momo, Kagome, Nodoka, Yue, Ami, Akari, Kiami, Hinagiku, Erika, Kazumi, and Nanami, to be exact, with Kamo perched on his shoulder. There was a second boy in the picture as well…Kenjirô, of course.

"It's just been one adventure after another here…it seems I can't go more than a few weeks without some magical enemy attacking me. I keep finding out more and more about this school, about my father, about his past…and about enemies that I've innocently gathered. And my students keep getting involved in the trouble, but they've declared their determination to help me, and I've had to rely on them quite a bit.

"Still, it's not all bad—we've become a pretty good team, and most of them are determined to follow me into Arcanus Myrror when I'm finally released to go searching for my father. We'll see how that works out.

"Also, I've gotten a new friend thanks to these adventures, as you can tell from the picture—his name is Kenjirô Hanatabi, and he's a _hanyô_. But he's now a student at this school, too—and I'm beginning to suspect that he might not be the only half-demon. Why not? This school has everything else….

"Now it's time for the School Festival, so hopefully things will be a little more peaceful.

"In any case, wish me luck. I know I'll need all of it I can get in the future!

"Ciao!"

The magical image of Kain winked out, and Harold put the envelope down with a laugh. "He has twenty-nine students, and that group looked like half of them. Well, I know Mahora has a lot of mages attending it, but all those girls know about magic…? Kain's been close-lipped about how he's managed to let them all into the circle of the magic society."

Lina threw the picture down in disgust. "He certainly is an airhead, no doubt about it. I wonder if I should go pay him a visit…."

"Ah, I wouldn't, Lina. It sounds like he has enough troubles as it is without adding you to the mix…."

"You take that back, you old man!"

Harold laughed again. "My, my, Lina…you are so quick to light up…."

"Ah, whatever!" Lina turned away and huffed. "Well, he might be having lots of fun, but he's missing plenty of opportunities in Arcanus Myrror, too. If he doesn't come home for his summer vacation, I'll go fetch him and drag him over. No matter how serious things are at Mahora, he can't call himself a proper mage until he's dealt with a _real_ magic world."

"Hmm. I wonder." Harold puffed at his archaic tobacco pipe as he looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought. "I've never been anywhere except Wyoming and Arcanus Myrror, myself, but I've heard some legends about that place. Soon, Mahora Academy is about to become the most magical place on earth…a place nearly the equal of Arcanus Myrror."

Lina glanced at him in surprise. "Oh?"

"Mahora's tree is one of the last remaining mana trees, and it reaches its apex about every twenty years or so. I hear it's due to happen again this year, around the time of this Festival he mentioned. If Kain's been having to deal with villains during things as innocent as a school trip, I wonder what troubles may arise when the school fills up with mana…."

"I guess," Lina sniffed. "Well, I don't have a lot of interest in school festivals, so I'll leave him alone for now. I've gotta run, Pops; I'll see you later."

"I'll let you know when the next letter comes."

Lina waved at him as she sauntered out the door.

Harold closed his eyes again as he considered it. It was somewhat distressing to hear that Kain had already been involved in so many troublesome situations, but it was heartening to know that his class was there to support him. The irony of it amused Harold, and he wondered if the Headmaster or the Principal had expected this kind of situation when they agreed to send Kain to Mahora.

One thing was certain—he was receiving his harshest lessons in one of the best locations available….

_Author's Note: The School Festival_

_ Actually, this Prologue is a bit of a jump forward in time, since Hinagiku and Kazumi are already in the picture, but Chapter 1 actually picks up where Act 3 left off, with the Sunday trip to Alyssa's villa right after the battle with von Herrmann. We have a few more emotional situations to resolve before returning to the real world, then we have a few other loose ends to tie up…and then it's the Festival. But not right away. We have a few more characters to introduce for future reference, and a few extra scenarios to go through, and then we'll be into the School Festival._

_ And what a festival it will be! The festival in Negima is an arc that dwarfs even the Kyoto arc. It is over ninety chapters from the end of the Graf arc (when it begins transitioning to the Festival, getting ready for it) to the end of the Festival arc, when the villain is defeated. By comparison, the first few arcs I've copied here—the Introduction, the Library Adventure arc, the Vampire Eva arc, the Kyoto arc, and the Graf arc all total are about seventy chapters. This 'arc' will be 3 Acts on its own._

_ So, let's not waste any more time and get started…._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer__: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors)._

Chapter One: On the Horizon

The demonic things leapt at Kain. He raised a hand and a stream of magical missiles intercepted them, destroying them all in a flash of fireworks. Then the larger beast came in behind them, and impacted against a shining, iridescent shield. Kain released the energy of said shield, causing the attacker to fly back, repulsed, and gathered up the energy for his doom bolt. The spell destroyed this greater threat.

"Not bad, boy," Alyssa murmured. "But you'll run out of mana fast if you spend your spells that freely…and you won't have anything left to fight with…."

Another swarm of her minions descended on Kain. His hands moved in swift gestures, and he planted a hand on the ground. Lightning erupted around him, a bolt lancing each of the beasts that entered the sphere of his influence.

And then Miyu was behind him, lashing out with a kick. Kain leapt over the strike, somersaulting slightly and lashing out with his own boot on the way, sending Miyu flying backward. Miyu hit and danced back instantly, and Kain turned to meet her head on. Alyssa raised an eyebrow in surprise as Kain parried each of the strikes with surprising ease and even began to press back.

A double-handed palm thrust threw Miyu away, and Alyssa jumped in herself. Her shadows swarmed over Kain, and he was forced to leap away. He dodged and moved easily, avoiding the strikes, but then Alyssa was behind him again, and he suddenly could not avoid the blast of energy that came from her hand, tossing him away.

"Amazing," Alyssa commented. "You keep learning and improving from every battle. Now you're backing up your magical artillery by reinforcing yourself with _ki_ when the time comes for hand-to-hand combat. Of course, you still have weaknesses. It takes you too much time to mentally switch gears between drawing on mana and _ki_, so if your foe attacks you with threats that require both abilities you become overwhelmed. You'll need a lot more training before you can rely on this method of combat…at least, against clever foes."

Kain picked himself up and brushed himself off. "Right," he agreed. "Well, that's what this is for, isn't it? Let's go again…."

This evening it was Kazumi sitting out by the fountain, staring at nothing and trying to get her head around all of the things that she'd recently had to come to terms with.

For her, it had all started with Kenjirô. The strange boy's arrival had sparked a very wild weekend…and she was still having trouble dealing with it.

She had always known that there was something…different about Kain, about his life. Everything about him seemed to suggest secrets and a hidden existence, and that air had followed him from the beginning, from his first introduction to the class. She had often thought, in her private moments, that she could get closer to him, if only she could be a part of that strange world that was apparently his birthright….

Well, now, it seemed, she was. Surprisingly, the others had accepted her easily enough, and she was now, hesitantly, even learning magic with them. Still, with everything she had seen these last few days…it was a bit much….

Today, especially. Kain's battles with Alyssa were intense and incredible. The danger Kain seemed to be in terrified her, and yet he seemed to take it all in stride….

"Oh? Kazumi-_san_?"

"Ah…Hinagiku-_san_…."

Hinagiku sat next to the girl. "So it's you who can't sleep tonight," she offered.

"Eh…n-no…it's all…so amazing…."

"Amazing, is it…I suppose so…it's certainly different, isn't it? I agree….

"So how are Oga-_chan_ and Yukari-_san_?" she continued. "I never got the chance to ask before."

"Ah…they're fine…a little confused, especially Yukari-_chan_, but it seems the Sendô family took care of everything…cleaned up our apartment, adjusted their memories…they don't remember much, and don't seem any the worse for wear."

"That's something, at least." Hinagiku fell silent and took in a deep breath of the air.

Kazumi stared away, wrestling with her feelings. This, of course…this was the most troublesome thought….

"Hinagiku-_san_…about last night…."

"Yes? What is it?"

"W-well…the thing is…I saw you…when you kissed Kain-_sensei_…."

Hinagiku froze. And _this_, of course, was perhaps her biggest fear. "Is…is that so…so you managed to see that too…t-there was no meaning in it, I mean, it was for the contract…."

Hinagiku hurriedly explained the situation she had been in. "I would never just k-kiss Kain-_sensei_ for any other reason! I mean, just like that…it was an emergency, and there was no choice…."

Kazumi considered this. "I guess, then…you are the fifth girl he's made this…contract with…? So, that means he's already kissed five girls…."

"I-I know, it seems criminal, doesn't it? But," she continued with a sigh, "from what everyone has said, they were in situations similar to mine. Kain-_sensei_ kissed those girls and made those contracts so that they could defeat their enemies…what a strange, nonsensical world…."

Kamo had explained to the dubious Hinagiku the reason why kisses were required for the contract, but, just as it had been hard for her to accept magic, it was hard for her to accept the fact that an emotional bond had to be created to form this invisible 'link'.

But this was nothing compared to the hardest thing of all…the terrible truth she carried within her that she tried to hide, but that she couldn't stand to deny anymore….

"Actually, Kazumi-_san_…I have a confession to make…."

Kazumi looked at her in surprise.

"The truth is…this has nothing to do with the kiss, with the contract, but…actually, I've betrayed you, Kazumi-_san_. The truth is…I love Kain-_sensei_, too…."

Kazumi stared at her.

"It's terrible, I know…after acting all high and mighty about how these kinds of feelings are inappropriate between teacher and student…and after promising to support you in your feelings for Kain-_sensei_…I've utterly betrayed you, and fallen in love with him myself…."

Kazumi continued to stare at her; finally she said, "Oh? Is…is that all…?"

Now it was Hinagiku's turn to stare in shock. "Eh?"

"W-well, after all this…with how serious you suddenly were…I thought it might be something a lot more serious."

"Eh? What do you mean, serious?"

"Well, in this case…I mean, I asked you before, didn't I? I asked because…it seems everyone is affected by it. Everyone likes Kain-_sensei_, or almost everyone. Y-you've fallen for him now…and, with your kiss, you're a step ahead of me, like the others…but right now, it's only to be expected, I think…."

"B-but…."

"Have you told Kain-_sensei_ how you feel, Hinagiku-_san_?"

"W-what? No! I could never say something so embarrassing…."

Kazumi giggled. "That's our Hinagiku-_kaichô_…so brave and amazing, but terrified of being seen as anything other than cool…."

"D-don't make fun of me…!"

"Nodoka-_san_ has already confessed to Kain-_sensei_…she's a step ahead of us…and Mai-_san_ is a bit of a cheater, because she's the closest to him, but she won't even admit her feelings to herself. But that hasn't stopped me yet. I'm going to keep trying, and…I'm going to have faith in myself. Now that I've seen Kain-_sensei_'s world, I'm going to put my heart into pursuing him…I'll make sure I don't lag behind any more. I'm going to start by confessing to him at the festival. So, I'll be counting on your continued support, Hinagiku-_san_."

Hinagiku blinked in surprise. "Eh? What?"

"It's all right…I'll be supporting _you_ as well, Hinagiku-_san_. With so many girls after his heart…if I can't get it, then I wouldn't mind if you were the one. It'll be our contest…can I make Kain-_sensei_ fall in love with me first, or will he fall for Hinagiku-_san_ first?"

Hinagiku continued to stare at the girl. Since her personal revelation regarding her feelings, this was the nightmare scenario she knew she had to face, and it was all turning on its head. She expected Kazumi to be furious, hurt, betrayed, jealous, vengeful…and yet she had accepted her easily and even said this….

She wasn't prone to this sort of thing, but tears actually began to fall from her eyes….

Kazumi was concerned. "Hinagiku-_san_…?"

"N-no, it's nothing!" Hinagiku tried to wipe the tears away and then continued bravely, "I can't win against that, Kazumi-_san_…I suppose I'll have to accept your generous heart…thank you…."

The next day as Kain headed towards the school, surrounded by his students, he was hailed. "Yo, Kain-_kun_!"

Kain turned in surprise. "Kenjirô-_kun_! Are you…?"

He dashed over to his friend and looked him up and down. He was dressed now in a middle school student's uniform—white shirt, burgundy jacket and pants. His long black hair was in its usual ponytail.

"That uniform—you're in the school now?" Kain asked, completing his earlier question.

"Yep. The principal arranged it—I'm being allowed to attend as a reward for my help, and it serves as a kind of probation as well, so I'm not being let _completely_ off the hook for my deeds in Kyoto. It's a nice compromise." He said this quietly, as several of the interested students around were not part of Kain's party. He turned away his attention as Yukari, Matake, and Kazumi approached. Greeting them, he continued, "I'm sorry for leaving you so abruptly that evening…but I finally managed to take care of what I needed to do. Thank you very much for all the care you've given me."

"No, it's nothing," Matake declared, waving the gratitude away. "And it's not a problem. We're just glad that you're all right…we were kind of worried about you. But I never knew you were a student here at Mahora…and you know Kain-_sensei_…?"

"Yes…it's a long story, but it's partially thanks to Kain-_sensei_ that I'm able to stay here now."

"That's good…perhaps we'll see you around…."

"I think that's likely."

Kain called the students' attention, and everyone started heading back to their classes, but Yukari stayed behind and stopped Kenjirô for a moment longer. "Umm…Kenjirô-_kun_…about that night…."

"Hmm? Yes, Hirai-_san_?"

"Well…I don't remember much about it, but…." She stopped and then shook her head. "No, it doesn't really matter. You're okay now, right?"

"Of course I am. Thank you for your concern, but I'm fully recovered now. There's no need to worry about me!"

"Ah…that's good…I better get to class…see you later, Kenjirô-_kun_!"

The sight of Rei in class was surprising. She was there, but heavily bandaged…bandages were wrapped around the left side of her head, covering one eye, along with her neck, and even her left arm was completely bandaged, tied up in a sling.

Naturally, the class had many questions and comments over this unique appearance, but Rei sat stoically, staring out the window and ignoring all the words sent her way.

Kain and his comrades noticed her condition as well, of course, and were quite privy to the reason behind it. They also, to a soul, couldn't help but feel empathy for her condition. True, she had revealed herself to them as an enemy, but it had been on Kaya's orders…and as for her injuries….

Kain left the class after the morning English lesson, but at lunchtime, as the students filed out to eat, he made it back into the classroom. There, as he suspected, was Rei, sitting in her usual chair, still staring out the window.

He approached her, and she actually turned to gaze at him with her good eye.

"Kain-_sensei_...is there something you need?"

"Are you all right, Ayanami-_san_?" he asked in reply. "You're still quite injured."

"It's nothing. I will likely finish regenerating before tomorrow morning. There is no need to worry."

"But we're worried about you," Erika put in, appearing at Kain's elbow. "Perhaps we could get Kagome-_san_ to heal you…."

"There is no need. Even if something happens to me, I can just be replaced—"

"That's not true!" Erika burst out suddenly. Kain regarded her in shock, and even Rei looked up at her, almost surprised. "No one can be replaced that easily," she continued in more normal terms. "Even if you are mother's Servant, even if she can make another at any time, you are an individual…you can't be replaced."

Kain, smiling slightly, turned back to Rei. "You're a valuable member of this class, Ayanami-_san_," he informed her. "We value all our classmates, no matter who you are…no matter what has happened between us."

Rei stared for a second more, then turned to stare out the window again. "W-wait!" Erika snapped again. "Are you just going to ignore us again?!"

"I am sorry, Sendô-_sama_," Rei said, turning back to Erika, "I simply do not know how to react to this situation. I do not remember…how to act human."

The two stared at her in shock for a moment, then Erika smiled. "That's easy; if nothing else, you can just smile. Smiling is one of the best and easiest ways to communicate how we feel."

Rei continued to stare for a few more seconds, and then a small smile slowly spread across her face. Kain nodded happily. "Much better, Ayanami-_san_. Much better."

As Erika and Kain headed out after leaving Rei with a few more words, Erika said quietly, "Thank you very much, Kain-_sensei_."

Kain blinked at her. "Hmm? For what? You did most of the encouraging there…."

"No, not that…I mean…you and Hina stood up for me in front of…in front of my mother the other night. You had no need to do so, but you supported me…you tried to convince her, for my sake…."

"Oh, that. It was nothing to praise me about; if you wish to thank me, wait until I've changed her mind. You should have told me you labored under such an onus. I would have told her off that much sooner."

"Ah, no, but…."

"You're still a _person_, Erika-_san_. Whatever she feels about you, whoever she is, Sendô-_san_ does not have the right to treat you like a pet or an animal. No person has the right to take away such things as liberty from another, nor to force their conduct and way of life. Even if we weren't acquainted, I would stand up for you in such a situation…but because we're friends, that just makes this all the more personal."

"Ah…I guess so…but…."

Kain stopped and extended his hand to her. "What did you say at the beginning of the year welcoming speech? 'Alone, your hand may feel cold…and seem kind of lonely…but if we hold hands, they grow a little warmer;' something like that, right? I've tried to walk with my single, cold, lonely hand all this time, but you and Mai and the rest have finally convinced me to try walking together. If you all are so willing to share my burdens, how can I do anything but try to share yours as well?"

Erika stared up at the smiling face, the shining blue eyes, and smiled back at him. "That's right…Kain-_sensei_…thank you…."

She reached out and took his hand, smiling, but a moment later her expression suddenly changed. Her eyes flew open wide as if shocked, and she backed away suddenly, hitting the wall somewhat harshly in her haste.

"Erika…_san_…?" Kain attempted, puzzled.

"S-sorry, Kain-_sensei_, I-I…I'm just not feeling well right now. I guess I'm still a little…stressed by everything we've experienced recently. I-I should go get some more rest…I doubt I'll come to Alyssa-_chan_'s today…."

She scurried away quickly, before Kain could come up with another question.

He stared after her, frowning, disturbed. "That was…the same look she had when she first tried to greet me…what's wrong with her now, after all this time…?"

Within the safety of the Sendô's special room in the Student Council building, Erika sucked hard at the blood from one of her packets. She set it down and began to pant slightly.

She held up a trembling hand and looked at it. "No…it's getting worse," she muttered. "W-why? I was in perfect control for so long…and now it's taking less time before the lust comes back. W-why is this…now…?"

Sobbing, she tucked her knees in front of her face….

"Wow…this place is amazing," Kenjirô commented.

At Kamo's suggestion, Kain had gone to his new friend and invited him to join the party in their trip to Alyssa's villa that day. Kenjirô was surprised by the size of the group, but quite interested in seeing this training method that had strengthened Kain so much in such a short period of time.

He had a few questions about the group, however. "Is it really okay for Yoshida-_san _to be here? I mean, she's still quite a normal girl…."

"_I_ invited her personally, so she is my guest," Alyssa sniffed imperiously, appearing at Kenjirô's elbow. "She is therefore far more welcome than little mongrel half-demons…."

Kenjirô started and half-bowed apologetically. "Ah…sorry…you are…from Kyoto…?"

"Ah, forgive me for not introducing her properly," Kain lamented. "This is Alyssa Searrs, at least by human reckoning, better known as the _mazoku_ princess Alysaser. She's the one who owns this villa and is responsible for training me."

"O-oh…I'm truly sorry…forgive my rudeness, and thank you for having me here." Kenjirô bowed with extreme politeness. "I am Hanatabi Kenjirô, your humble servant."

Alyssa whistled. "Well, this brat certainly has some manners…I'm actually quite surprised. You've certainly found an interesting friend, Kain."

"He's certainly much more polite than before," Hinagiku sniffed. "He was an insufferable sharp-tongued boor the other night."

Kenjirô glared slightly at Hinagiku but didn't snap back, returning his face to serenity almost immediately. Alyssa nodded in approval and turned away. "No Erika-_chan_ today, I see. Well, I suppose she has some things to sort through. All right, let's get started. I'll probably make use of Kenjirô later on for Kain's training. For now, Hina-_chan_, why don't you practice with him a little…?"

Hinagiku blanched in surprise. "What? Me?"

"Besides Momo and, of course, my dear little Kain-_sensei_, there isn't anyone else here who uses a sword, and Momo's focus is more on spells anyway," Alyssa explained. "I assume you would prefer to remain a swordswoman if you're determined to help Kain at all…."

"Of course I'm determined!"

"…And therefore, training with Kenjirô, who is a Blade Demon and master of the sword, is the best way to keep your skills up. It would especially be good for you to work with him, Hina-_chan_, because your own sword training is flawed."

"What do you mean, flawed…?"

Alyssa smiled again and patiently continued, "You've trained long and hard at _kendô_, but it's a sporting art, not a fighting art. It's based on actual ancient swordsmanship techniques, but because it's a sport, it focuses too much on _not _hurting your opponent, which is counter-intuitive to real battle. You did well in your first trial, but when you face stronger foes, you'll need to know what real swordsmanship combat is like. Kenjirô can teach you that."

She turned to Kenjirô, whose face was a blank mask. "Do you have a problem with that, Kenjirô-_san_?"

"N-no, of course not. I need to focus on my own sword skills anyway, and so it's best if I spar with another swordsman…."

"Good. All right…everyone get to work!"

Scowling, Hinagiku joined Kenjirô off to the side and summoned her artifact so they could begin some swordplay.

Mai was somewhat distracted. "What do you think is wrong with Erika?" she asked.

"Maybe she's still suffering from the shock of Saturday's events," Momo noted. "That seems most likely. I heard that some of the things they discussed with her mother were pretty terrible…."

"I guess…."

"In any case, Mai, let's work on some magical combat today, okay?"

"R-right…."

Erika seemed back to normal the next day, as she stood to announce the preparation for the School Festival in fifteen days.

A transformation had suddenly taken over the school. The first few signs of it came the previous evening, as some of the more ambitious high schoolers and university students started preparing some of the stalls, backgrounds, banners, and other paraphernalia, and they had even begun constructing an 'Arc-de-Triomphe'-style gateway at the entrance to the school. It was already nearly completed when the class went to the school that day, and monsters and robots (or people in costumes thereof) could now occasionally be seen rushing around.

Erika gave several dutiful reminders to the class about the meaning and importance of the School Festival and how it was a treasured academy tradition and they should all be on their best behavior as they represented the school to the community. She then turned the time over to Kain to lead the discussion on what the class should do for its activity.

And, naturally, the ideas they came up with were…exotic, to say the least. One of the things that Nanami noted immediately was that the school allowed 'business' activities, such as shops, and suggested they do something to earn the class some money. Then, in response to this, the strangest ideas for shops surfaced.

Kanade began by suggesting a 'Heart-Pumping Swimsuit Extravaganza Café'. Her description seemed to depict swimsuit-clad 3-A members walking across a pool on floating platforms in order to deliver the food and drinks to the customers, and trying not to fall in. Somehow, the idea of a few girls losing their bikini tops in the process entered into her description at some point. The idea was shot down quickly.

Kaoru suggested a 'Girls' Mud-Wrestling Tea Shop.'

Miki suggested an 'Undergarment-less Tea Shop' to counter, and explained how it was an 80's fad in Japan, but again this idea (illegal today) was instantly rejected.

Finally Sakura calmed the crowd. "As exciting as all these ideas are, we should perhaps stick to something simple, that won't get our class expelled, or cost more than we could earn back from attracting customers. An exotic food café would be a great way to show off our class' skills, however—we have a number of skilled cooks in this class, including Mai-_chan_, Kazumi-_chan_, Hina-_chan_, Erika-_chan_, Momo-_chan_, and others. So, rather than a café, shall we show the school the '3-A World Restaurant'?"

The class was somewhat excited by this idea, but Izumi added, "We can't just serve food, however…with all these pretty girls, we have to have some sort of theme!"

Again random ideas such as '_Nekomimi_!' (Cat ears and tails), 'Maid!', 'Swimsuit!', and others were tossed around flagrantly, and again Sakura calmed the chaos a little. "Perhaps we shouldn't restrict ourselves to one idea; if we have many different types of food, perhaps we should have a little variety in our apparel. I believe I have an idea for that; allow me, please?"

The class consented, and Hinagiku promised to gather the necessary ingredients to make the meal a success. The first stage of the Festival: planning, was now complete.

After class, Sakura slunk away after Chisame and accosted her when they had put enough space from the other students. "Chisame-_chan_, if I might have a moment of your time…."

"W-what? Sakura? What do you want…?"

"I'm aware that you are a master of the thread and needle—an expert in the art of costumes. I was hoping to prevail upon you to make the class' costumes for our restaurant…."

"W-what?! Where did you hear that from?! I—."

"There, there, Chisame-_chan_…it's a secret, and I promise I won't tell anyone about yours. I just think that the restaurant will be the biggest success if we can borrow your strength. Your costumes are extraordinary, and you have a great talent for maximizing, shall we say, the _moe_. I think you can not only make us the best costumes, but maximize the effect by making the costumes best-suited to each student…."

"W-well, maybe…but why should I have to work so hard for this stupid festival? This may be news to you, but I don't care about its success like you or the _kaichô_ duo…."

"That's fine, that's fine. In return, I'll dissuade them from including you in the restaurant's work at festival time, so you won't have to worry about cooking or serving with us. Will that do? Is it enough reason to work hard for us?"

"…I suppose…."

"Invite Ayanami-_san_ to our training routine as well?" Kain asked, surprised.

Hinagiku nodded. "Erika and I have been talking about it. I heard that you guys tried to approach her the day before, and were able to make a little headway. I was…reluctant, at first, but I think I can admit now that Ayanami-_san_ could become a valuable ally to us. If Sendô-_san_ is determined to keep her in the school even after revealing her secret to us, well…there's probably a reason for it.

"I don't like the idea of Servants," she continued, "especially if turning a human into a Servant seems to rob their willpower so much. I must admit I feel pity for her when I think of what Ayanami-_san_ must have gone through over the years…centuries. That's why we think it would be better to make her a comrade. If we can help her regain the humanity that she lost, that she must have had, back when she was human, maybe she can help us persuade Sendô-_san_. What do you think?"

Kain considered. "You have a point," he admitted. "It also seems like fomenting rebellion in her, an idea I'm not particularly fond of, but I understand where you're coming from. Perhaps it would be worth a try."

"Well, then, could you go invite Ayanami-_san_ to our little outing this evening?" Hinagiku asked, putting her hands together in supplication. "It seems she's fully healed now (another amazing situation our class seems to have taken in stride), so she should be able to come."

"Er…don't you think you or Erika-_san_ should do it? I mean, I…."

"Considering I fought against her last Saturday evening, I doubt I'd be the best-qualified peacemaker. As for Erika…she has her own burdens regarding this matter, shall we say. As the teacher and undisputed leader of our group, we think you're the best one to reach out to her."

"I suppose I can't argue with that…."

And so Kain tentatively approached Rei's dorm room, another one located on the outside wall of the building. Rei shared her room with Caria; right now, the latter was, as usual, stuck in her lab, but Rei had been absent from her club activities recently, and seemed to be returning early to her dorm room each day.

Kain carefully knocked on the door. He waited several seconds, a dozen, more, but there was no reply, no sound. He frowned. Was she not home? He rang the doorbell, but this action was likewise greeted by nothing. Curious, he tried the door, and found it unlocked.

Kain was not the sort of person who would put off a task with the thought of 'coming back later', especially when the target of his inquiries was an individual prone to ignoring things that did not immediately concern her or her 'orders'. He had already done this once to Chisame when he had felt the need; in this case, he wasn't certain if Rei was present or not, but if she were absent and had left her room unlocked he at least owed it to both its occupants to ensure that it was secure. He steeled up his resolve and cautiously entered the premises, offering a hesitant 'please pardon the intrusion' and shutting the door behind him. Then he looked up and gazed around the room.

Each dorm room was optimized for three people, and the two inhabitants of this chamber both seemed to have curious views on the subject. The distinct marks of the two individuals dominated two-thirds of the room, but the area set aside for the third member was conspicuously barren and empty. Caria's section was easy to identify—everything was very neatly arranged, but the sheer volume of what could only be called 'stuff' that was crammed into her home was staggering. Gizmos and gadgets whose purpose could only be wildly guessed at adorned her desk, her bookshelf, the posts of her bed, and nearly every available space. It was clear why Caria kept all her other possessions so neatly arranged—if she didn't, she wouldn't have room for all her inventions. Kain was deathly afraid of approaching, for fear of activating some strange device capable of heaven-only-knew what.

The other occupied corner, Rei's by default, was surprisingly messy. Rei didn't seem to care too much for orderly housekeeping, with clothes and other items strewn almost haphazardly about the floor. The bed had the roughed-up look of one who slept in it peacefully, without moving, but who never bothered to make it. The most astonishing thing about this mess was that Rei didn't even seem to own very much; her actual possessions, besides her clothing and school books, seemed to be sparse—and even her clothes were in short supply. She didn't seem to have any other than her school uniforms…and one black dress, carefully hung in the open closet.

It fascinated Kain, because it seemed to be the one item in the room that was genuinely cared for. He cautiously approached the closet and removed the dress from its resting place. It was of fine silk, a woven masterpiece, but an actual, western dress, not a Japanese _kimono_. A red ribbon adorned the neck of the dress, tied like a tie or handkerchief, and on the ribbon in gold engraving were the _kanji_ for '_yakusoku_'—'promise'.

There was the sound of a door opening off to his right. Kain turned in surprise and stared at Rei. She had obviously just exited the shower—her hair was still moist and she wore nothing but a towel draped across her shoulders. She stared back at him, or, rather, at the dress he held in his hands. Her stare was mostly still blank, but upon spotting the dress it…'tightened' somewhat, and it seemed as if she was actually concerned. That was the extent of it—no cries of anger, no opening of the mouth in horror, no signs of outrage, fury, dismay, or any violent emotion. Just the slightest hint of concern on that face….

Kain only stared an instant, absorbing all this in short order, before the fact that he was seeing the girl naked registered and he began to react. Flustered, he attempted to stammer out an apology, come up with an excuse, shield his eyes, and put the dress down all at the same time, which ended up giving him a motion that…well, to sum it up he looked like a comedian trying to demonstrate a particularly wide-ranging epileptic seizure. Rei approached with somewhat more speed and determination than she usually showed, reaching out for the dress, but still showing no particular emotion or concern appropriate to a girl who had been thus intruded upon. As she approached, Kain fell back in his fright, and his foot slipped on a piece of clothing underneath him. Normally this would not have felled him, but in his current mental state, and still trying to save the dress, he ended up toppling on top of Rei.

Now, in reality, the odds of a man falling on top of a girl and accidentally fondling her bosom are thousands to one; however, in the world of anime (and related works), it is almost a requirement that the event (or one similar to it) take place if the opportunity presents itself. And thus Kain found himself in another compromising position, laying on top of the naked Rei, staring into her face—and one hand, as if of its own accord, resting on her soft upper torso. The other hand, inexplicably, was lying on top of Rei's own.

Kain took one slightly longer instant to register his current predicament and react once again, leaping off of Rei, his face flushed in utmost shock and embarrassment, and he blithered out a stream of apologies as he hunkered down, eyes closed, hands over his head, turned away from the girl.

Rei, still seemingly unconcerned, rose, picked up the dress which Kain had rather masterfully lain on top of her bed in the chaos of his fall (and this was where his instinctual attentions had devoted his extraordinary reflexes), and replaced it in the closet. Then she silently began to dress herself.

Kain had been teaching his students for months now and had a grasp on their personalities, but it was still shocking to him that even this incredible string of incidents elicited no rebuke from the stoic girl. He sat for nearly a minute, expecting some sort of retribution, but when no punishment came, he slowly raised his head and cautiously looked around. Rei was still in the act of dressing, and he flushed and looked away again, and finally remembered why he had come.

"Ah…Ayanami-_san_…I-I'm so sorry…but…the reason I came here is…I wanted to…_we_ wanted to…invite you to join us this evening. You see, we—I, and the rest of our comrades, the ones you, er, saw Saturday night—we train nearly every day at Alyssa's place, in a special villa she uses, see, which you probably know…. Anyway, we just wanted to invite you to join us…."

He looked up and saw that Rei was now fully dressed and walking towards the door. He got to his feet and hurried after her.

"Anyway, that was the only reason for my intrusion, which again I am so very sorry for. Um….would you be interested in joining us?"

Rei paused in the act of opening the door. "I…appreciate the offer, Kain-_sensei_, but at this time I am not qualified to join you. Kaya-_sama_ has allowed me to continue coming to school here, but I do not believe that joining your party is in either of our best interests right now." She then opened the door and departed, not even seeming to care that she was leaving Kain behind in her room.

Kain hurried out after her, and she did stop to lock the door once he was through. Then she turned and, without any further dialogue, started off.

Kain stared after her, then sighed. "That could have gone better," he muttered.

Kamo materialized on his shoulder. "Oh, I don't know. A lot of guys would have paid good money to be in your shoes there."

"Thanks, Kamo," Kain growled, glowering at his companion. "You're a big help sometimes, you know?"

"You know my job. My hobby is enjoying the male-female hijinx you bring to this school. Thanks for keeping me entertained."

"No problem…in return, keep this little escapade to yourself, if you don't mind…."

"Sure, sure. Even I can be unusually circumspect every once in a while."

Trying to put the thoughts of the recent events out of his mind, Kain turned and headed back towards Alyssa's.

"There's going to be a tournament during the Festival," Kenjirô informed Kain with just a hint of excitement. They were taking a break from training; Alyssa now had the boys going against each other to build their skills.

"A tournament?"

"Right—for martial arts. Mahora supposedly has some good ones, and there's one they host during the Festival. We can use that as an opportunity for a real rematch."

"We fight together all the time, though," Kain objected. "Now that you're here training with us…."

"Sparring isn't the same as a real, honest-to-goodness battle with a prize on the line! Don't think I've forgotten…we still haven't settled the score between us from Kyoto. This will be the opportunity to do so.

"And the thought is getting me excited. You've already come a long way since Kyoto…you've even mastered a rough kind of instant movement using your _ki_ now. We should have a real good fight…."

"Testing your skills in a tournament? That isn't a bad idea," Alyssa said, suddenly behind them. "There may even be some masters at the tournament to test your skills on. There is one problem, however. There are actually several tournaments during the Festival. The best of them allows only adults to compete; middle schoolers, and even a teacher of middle school age, wouldn't be able to compete in them. While you could still face each other, you'd spend the rest of the time beating up children rather than real fighters. Well…I have an idea. Follow me."

The two watched her wander off, and finally rose and hurried after her. She led them down into a basement room in the back of the villa that they had not hitherto visited. They came into a lab lined with vials and beakers, all sorts of shapes of glass. Liquids of all sorts of colors flowed through the glass. It was….

"An alchemy lab," Kain remarked in fascination. "You practice alchemy, Alyssa?"

"It was demons like me who taught the skill to your kind," Alyssa explained with a smile. "I haven't used it extensively in quite a while, but my skills don't diminish. I have some toys for you to try out."

"Toys?" Kenjirô growled. "I'm not sure I like the sound of this…."

"Oh, goodness. Do have an open mind. I mean _you_ will be employing the toys, not you will _be_ the toys. Now, let's try this." She retrieved two small red balls from a vial and tossed one to each of the boys. "Here. Take one of these."

The two inspected the balls. They looked somewhat like small jawbreakers, perfectly red and perfectly round and about one centimeter in diameter. "What is this?" Kenjirô asked suspiciously. Kain, curious and feckless and absolutely trusting that Alyssa wouldn't do anything _too_ dreadful to him—particularly anything that could cause him or any of his exceptionally skilled students to seek revenge—popped it in his mouth and swallowed.

Kain felt something…uncomfortable happen to him. If called on to describe it, he would liken it to having his gears shifted as if he were a car. He shuddered from the sensation, and then looked at Kenjirô. The boy was staring at him…from down there. Kenjirô was about an inch taller than Kain, or was supposed to be; now he was at least half a foot shorter. He noticed that his clothes all seemed to be remarkably tight on him.

"What is this?" Kenjirô demanded again, turning to Alyssa.

"Age-deceiving pills," Alyssa replied haughtily. "One of my more amusing inventions. I have several different varieties, depending on how much older or younger you wish to be. This one has made you about ten years older."

_('As I suspected,')_ Kain thought. _('Age-deceiving must mean it's temporary…I sure hope so.')_ A quick spell fitted his clothes back to comfort on the new body. "I'm surprised you'd invent such a thing," Kain remarked. "You can make your human form any age you wish, can't you? Normally, I mean. Or did you come up with them after you were sealed?"

Alyssa waved a hand negligently. "Up to now I haven't had any ambition to do anything here since my sealing. This is from a long time ago. Naturally, I didn't make them for myself; but it's quite amusing to sell them to certain humans." She turned to Kenjirô, her face stern and commanding. "Now, quit stalling and take yours, boy! Or do you want me to shove it down your throat myself?"

Kenjirô quickly took the pill, and soon found himself similarly aged to Kain, who fitted his clothes for him. "So, what's this about?" Kenjirô demanded after recovering. "Why do we need to take these pills?"

"Isn't it obvious? We need to make you adults so you can participate in the highest-level tournament. And so you can get used to those bodies, we'll send you out to spend some time in town, shall we?"

"It's been so boring lately," Izumi lamented.

"An entire Act of the story dedicated to being at school, and we didn't appear at all," Miki agreed.

"_You_ appeared," Riza said accusingly, "even if it was a small part with Hina-_chan_, it was more than the rest of us got."

"That aside," Miki continued, ignoring her, "this poor excuse of a story even skipped the school's Athletics Festival entirely. Even if we aren't very fit, we could have appeared for a few important jokes."

"Well, without a butler-in-debt trying to save his job by helping his _hikkikomori_ of a master finish first in a crazy off-road race, it wouldn't have been very interesting anyway," Riza put in.

"I guess if we're going to appear we have to find something interesting to do…." Izumi stopped suddenly and stared.

"Hmm? Izumi?" The other two stopped and turned to see what she was looking at. "Wait," Riza said. "Isn't that…?"

"Kain-_sensei_? No, it isn't," Miki said. "That young man is obviously in his early twenties, not a pubescent teenage boy. After all, there aren't any convenient magic potions lying around that could turn Kain-_sensei_ into an adult. However, the resemblance is too uncanny to be a coincidence."

"I think we've found something interesting to investigate," Izumi said. And the three began to approach the duo in anime fashion.

"Technically, there really shouldn't be anything different about us, Kenjirô-_kun_," Kain mentioned as they walked along. "I mean, we're really just a little taller, aren't we? But somehow, everything seems…alien."

"We should use some different names while we're in these forms," Kenjirô replied levelly. "So that we don't give ourselves away if we run into someone we know. That's probably one of the reasons Alyssa-_chan_ wanted us to 'practice' going out like this."

"Run into people we know?" Kain scoffed. "It's not like we're at school; we're out in town. What are the odds of us running into someone from the school in this crowd?"

"Excuse me," Miki demanded from the man's elbow. "We hate to be bold, but we must say that you bear a striking resemblance to someone we know. May we ask who are?"

_('Of course, the odds are this good!')_ Kain thought as he started from the sudden appearance. Kenjirô looked at them, and thought he might have recognized them, but Kain was always so surrounded by girls he could hardly identify the ones that weren't 'important' (meaning, to him, the three that had saved him and the ones who trained with them at Alyssa's place). He pointed at them. "Do you know these little girls or something?" he asked blandly.

"Ah, well, no, not really," Kain muttered, desperately trying to come up with something.

"Hmm, not really?" Riza asked coyly. "So you do recognize us?"

"Ah, perhaps. This person who looks like me would be the teacher at Mahora Academy, Kain Lockeheart-_sensei_, yes? I'm his…cousin. Kalan Lockeheart."

"Ah, so you are related!" Izumi enthused. "You look just like him, I almost expected you to be wearing a white cloak like he does!"

In fact, Alyssa had wisely taken his favorite adornment off his hands (or, rather, shoulders) before sending him out, knowing it would be a dead giveaway to his identity. Kain admitted the wisdom of it when she mentioned it, but he, feckless and innocent, abashedly admitted to himself that he never would have thought of it.

"Ah, does he still wear that thing? Of course he does. It's an important memento of his father, after all…."

"Yes…" Miki murmured. "His father…whose name was also Kalan Lockeheart. But according to the data I have, Kain-_sensei_ doesn't have any living relatives."

_('Trust Hanabishi-_san_ to have investigated all my information that deeply. In which case….')_ "Well, I can't talk about it much, but the public data on Kain Lockeheart's family is incomplete. I can't say much more than that. Kalan Lockeheart, my uncle, had an older brother, my father, and he greatly admired his younger sibling, which is how I got his name. But there aren't too many records of us, you understand…it's a security thing."

"Ah, of course. After all, America is a violent and dangerous country where a dozen murders occur every week in most communities," Miki agreed sagely. "I guess your family is under witness protection or something, yes? This would explain why there's no data on Kain-_sensei_'s mother and why he's teaching in Japan."

Kain was very grateful for the Japanese stereotype towards violence in America at that moment, as it helped make his crazy, hastily-contrived story sound plausible. Kenjirô was likewise very impressed with the speed of Kain's construction of this fabrication.

"In any case, you must be his students…Segawa Izumi-_san_, Hanabishi Miki-_san_, and Asakaze Risa-_san_, correct? Kain has told me a lot about you girls."

"Ha, so we're famous, are we?" Riza gloated. "That's right, Kain-_sensei_ owes all of his success to us. In fact, Kain-_sensei_'s real job at this school is battling demons that have come to feed on Mahora's magical energy, and it's only thanks to us, the great Baka Rangers, that he's been able to overcome childlike demons, rampaging vampires, and penniless German lords!"

"I-is that so…?" Kain quavered.

"Ignore her. She's an idiot," Miki insisted. She turned her attention to Kenjirô. "I'm not sure, but I think this old man looks familiar, too…."

Kenjirô smiled darkly. "_O-san_? That would be _Onii-chan_ to you, _Ojô-chan_. I'm Hanatabi Kôtarô. My cousin Kenjirô is also in school at Mahora. We're in town to see the School Festival that keeps getting talked about."

"Ah, so you're here for the Festival!" Izumi nodded happily. "Well, there should be lots of fun things to see! Ah, hey, hey! Have you been here in Tokyo long?"

"Er, not really," Kain confessed.

"Then let us show you around," Miki offered. "Seeing the sights is a lot more enjoyable with a lovely escort, isn't it? And it's not every day you can get _three _lovely ladies at your side."

Kain and Kenjirô exchanged a glance that said a thousand words, and finally Kenjirô said, "Eh, sure, why not. It'll give us something to tell Kain-_sensei_ about."

"Great! First, you have to check out this place with us…."

Likely the afternoon could have been filled with chaotic episodes occurring with the 'Baka Trio' accompanying our two fake adults, but since this chapter has already gone to its limit, we shall just assume that nothing particularly incredible happened and the five were able to enjoy a more-or-less normal afternoon. Besides, we can't afford to give super-sleuth Miki any more tidbits to enhance her suspicions regarding this duo.

"And," Miki adds at this point, "since investigating the status of Hanatabi Kenjirô would reveal that his father was named Kôtarô and that he has no other registered family, and since this discovery would raise suspicions, I'm going to pointedly decide that Hanatabi Kôtarô isn't interesting enough to investigate."

Precisely.

And so we'll end this chapter on this comedic, fourth wall-breaking encounter. The School Festival is just on the horizon….

_Author's Note: Clones, Vampires, and Aging Pills._

_ This chapter consists of a mix of various kinds of homages, more than anything else._

_ We first have an homage to Rei's original appearance in Neon Genesis Evangelion, that heartstring-yanking introduction that grabbed some of us (I am one of the guilty fanboys, with at least one friend who also qualifies…) hook, line and sinker, as she comes out wrapped up in bandages and yet being sent to battle the Tokyo-destroying 'Angel'. It would have been easy to have her fully healed even by Monday, but I had to include the injured Rei image. Besides, the sight of it—especially for Erika, who recognized that she suffered those wounds for her sake—was important for setting her up as a pitiable figure in the eyes of her previous enemies. I've skipped ahead a little bit (in the Rei story progression), but Erika's comment to Rei about smiling and her reaction came from later on in the show, too—the fourth big Rei event in the chain that endeared her to us fanboys._

_ We'll go ahead and address the second Rei event next, which was an homage to her second significant appearance—Shinji being sent to deliver a new security card to her, innocently walking into her apartment and finding his father's glasses on her desk, seeing her walk naked out of the shower and accidentally fondling her when they collapsed together…yep, just like Kain experienced. And, of course, Rei reacts like nothing happened. She doesn't have enough emotion to care that she's practically being molested—it doesn't even matter to her. All she cares about is the item the boy was unabashedly investigating. In this case, rather than Gendo Ikari's glasses, it's a dress…the significance of this dress, and the ribbon tie with 'Promise' affixed to it, will be revealed later._

_ The third Rei event is not likely to make it into the story. After seeing her broken body being forced into combat prompts the whiny Shinji to pilot the Eva (1__st__ Event), after he accidentally sees her naked and gropes her and she leaves without any reaction to it (2__nd__ Event), they actually start talking about Shinji's father, and Rei demands of Shinji whether he trusts his father or not. Since Gendo is in the list of Top Five Worst Anime Fathers Ever, Shinji naturally says that he cannot…and Rei slaps him for _this_, of all things._

_ And, finally, after their first mission together, when Rei risks her life to save him so he can finish off the Angel, he rushes to pull her out of her Entry Plug (cockpit) to make sure she's all right and scolds her for going into battle with her last words being 'Good bye'. When she replies she doesn't know what else to say, nor how to react to this kind of reunion, Shinji begs her to just smile…and she gives it (and this is the 4__th__ Event). Ah, the situation isn't the same to perfectly emulate this segment that got us hooked on the show, as stupid as it became, but hitting on these little aspects of the series is so enjoyable…._

_ In any case, this is the Rei that I love and that I'm trying to bring out in the story—the emotionless girl who is slowly drawn back to humanity through her interaction with people who are willing to treat her as a human, who _want_ her to mature emotionally. The events shown here, such as her non-reaction to being sexually assaulted (as any normal anime girl would interpret it), highlight her complete lack of those human traits. Therefore, although I don't like random _ecchiness_, as I've mentioned, the event has its value in addition to the stupid homage. After this little post-combat introduction of her, she'll lay low during most of the first half of the Festival, but later on, after the tournament Kain and Kenjirô are planning to apply for, she'll start to take a much bigger role._

_ Erika finally gets some return to her roots here. Fortune Arterial, as I've mentioned, was not a battle story at all; although it had the supernatural in it, it was a romantic school story, where the protagonist finally gets a chance, after being moved around by his father's employment all his childhood, to start a new life on his terms for the rest of his high school career. The conflicts in the story revolve around Kohei trying to deal with his new school life that he's chosen and the trials that come from being thrust into a seat of responsibility on the Student Council by the machinations of Iori. This Erika, however, has largely been involved in helping Kain battle the evil forces that have threatened him and the rest of the class, especially since her initial introduction was investigating the dangerous rumors of vampires floating around the place (and, although the event was from the original MSN, her involvement in the mess mirrors an event in Fortune Arterial involving Kiriha Kuze). After helping Kain deal with Alyssa, the uber-responsible Erika couldn't bear to sit back and watch when other troubles came knocking. So she found herself drawn along with the rest of his rapidly-growing party/harem, but hasn't had much of a chance to consider just what her relationship is with Kain._

_ But as I mentioned before, Erika has an attraction to Kain—a vampire attraction to his mage blood, which, after the initial shock, she's been able to keep under control. She's also been heavily distracted by the various battles and other crises, which has allowed us to overlook the plot line of her growing lust for his blood. This most recent fiasco, however, has allowed me to revisit it, especially since Kain so gallantly rebuked her mother in her behalf, in her presence…and as Erika thinks about what Kain means to her, her bloodlust begins to come back with a vengeance, and Erika is about to be left in dire straits indeed. With what Erika is about to go through…well, I shouldn't say any more right now. But even though I didn't intend to go this far without addressing the bloodthirst issue (save an off-hand mention about an uncovered past event), it is convenient that I've remembered and found a place for it here. This will go a long way to explaining Erika's actions during the upcoming Festival…and the compare/contrast that's about to develop between her and Rei should make for an excellent original subplot._

_ And, finally, we have the aging pills. I'm going somewhat off-base with this one, putting my own unique twist on it for several reasons. The age-adjusting pills are a type of advanced illusion magic that temporarily changes the age of the person that consumes them, making them younger or older. About ten years is the maximum amount, at least in Negima. They have several important plot points in the original story: they are important disguises for the group of fugitives in the Magic World (no more spoilers on that note, just remember that they have that use) and one of the girls in Negi's harem actually fell in love with 'Nagi', the adult version of the boy. The growing concern over the situation as more and more of his class found out the secret and wrestled with their feelings over it was quite an interesting subplot, one that won't be major, but that I will revisit down the road._

_ Now, the differences: Kamo is the one who first gets them in Negima. He orders them from the , the magic version of the internet, and in fact this is just one in a long line of purchases he's had since the beginning; in particular, he's prone to ordering love potions, giving Ken Akamatsu-_sensei _a terribly cliché plot line to use and re-use and re-use over the course the series. The original purpose of them (the aging pills, not the love potions) is to aid Asuna, the main heroine who is here supplanted by Mai. Asuna has a crush on Takamichi, and wants to confess to him during the festival, but can't gather up the courage; so, to help her 'practice', they decide to feed Negi an aging pill and make him take her out on a date; as you can imagine, hijinx ensue. The tournament premise comes next; it's even more important in the original, since Negi and Kôtarô are only 10 years old and obviously too little to be allowed into an adult's martial arts tournament. Like Trunks and Goten, Kôtarô is determined to skip the fate of being relegated to picking on powerless infants. This second use of them causes Ako to fall in love with 'Nagi', and she makes him promise to see her during the Festival—hijinx ensue there, and I won't say more because that's part of what I'm going to partially use for this version, although they won't be as grand, as I mentioned (Ako has more issues than the girl who'll be taking her 'mistaken identity crush'). Eva, Alyssa's placeholder, also sees this older 'Nagi' and is shocked and this sparks her to an interest in the tournament, since she decides it would be good for her childish dreams to 'date' this version of Negi (Nagi) on the last day of the Festival._

_ I decided to have this be Alyssa's idea in the first place. Why? Just on a whim, mostly, although it helps some things along. Since this is Alyssa's invention, it's not widespread, which will help my issues towards 'situations that make sense', since they use them so extensively for disguises in the magic world. Since they can be easily ordered off the net, wouldn't the local (and national) authorities be suspicious when an exact look-alike (only a few years older) appears on _international magic television_? Sure, the important characters notice and discern the truth easily, but it shouldn't have been _that_ hard for most of the denizens of the magic world to figure out. Since it will be much rarer in this story, it will be easier to explain. Also, although this Alyssa really started out with a heavy blending of Eva's bratty eternally-ten attitude with the original Alyssa, I'm enjoying the unique Alyssa that's been developing since then. The twisted, mischievous demonic little girl who enjoys sowing discord amongst humans, pitting Kain and his students against each other, agitating their romantic sentiments, etc. Because of this, the pills are great as her invention—what is better for a demon than tempting mages with temporary youth, allowing them to go wild, or giving young mages age pills to let them sneak into bars and such…? Naturally._

_ Oh, and if anyone's having Kenjirô + Hinagiku thoughts after seeing their reactions to training together…nah. Not in the program, although there may be some romantic tension with Kenjirô's #1 fan from some perceived feelings between them. In fact, I have another character (unique) scheduled to start a love triangle with Hinagiku soon._

_ Now, let's get ready to start the festival!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer__: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors)._

Chapter Two: Festival, Start-o!

A few days left before the start of the Festival, all classes were cancelled to allow the students more time to prepare their various activities, stalls, et cetera. That first day of dedicated activity preparation, Sakura came skipping into the classroom (where, albeit without classes, they were gathering to prepare everything they needed) with a box full of clothing.

The girls 'ooohed' and 'aaahed' as they sorted through the costumes. A variety of beautiful and elegant dresses, and a few more dedicated 'cosplay'-type outfits for specific girls. As suspected, Chisame's taste was impeccable, at least as far as these girls were concerned. But perhaps most importantly, perfectly sized for these girls, there was a collection of ethnic clothing from all sorts of countries, so that the waitresses serving could match the food they were bringing out.

Hinagiku had acquired the large amount and variety of materials needed for their restaurant. With these few days, everything would be ready….

The training sessions had been cut back, as Alyssa cuttingly remarked that the teenaged girls didn't have enough attention in their heads to focus on them while something as important as the Festival was looming right before them.

And, indeed, as it often does for teenaged schoolgirls, their attention turned towards thoughts of romance and such….

Two days before the festival, the girls took some time from their preparations to examine an article in the school newspaper about the legend of the Mahora Tree, which was said to reward true love.

"It's true! It's one of the mysteries of Mahora!" Risa insisted. "Our Mahora Tree is a world heritage, a marvelous holy tree, and during this season it's at its peak! Just like it says…if you confess in front of the World Tree during the nights that it glows, your love will be returned!"

"It's just a superstition," Hinagiku huffed. "Unscientific things like that don't happen." _Well, I've suddenly been dropped into an unscientific situation, but this…._ "The 'Legend of the World Tree' is just a romantic tradition associated with our school."

"I don't know, Hina," Miki replied. "A _senpai_ two years older informed me that at last year's Festival, a couple who everyone agreed was an impossible match tried this out, and it worked right away."

This affirmation caught the attention of several girls in the class….

"Well, I only heard about this," Riza agreed, "but apparently last year there were three girls who confessed to the teachers-in-training…and succeeded."

"Ehhhh!?"

Izumi added, "It was unconfirmed, but apparently there was also a report about a girl who snagged an actor for a boyfriend through the power of the tree!"

"Really!?"

Several of the girls looked over the article again; it loudly stated that the power of the Mahora World Tree (usually Mahora Tree or World Tree for short) could 'overcome all barriers and problems' between romantic couples.

Mai looked at them and sighed. "They're really into that, aren't they? The power of the Mahora Tree, huh?" she muttered. She then seemed to be lost in thought.

"Oh, don't tell me Mai is thinking about confessing, too?" Kagome teased her.

"What? N-no, absolutely not! Who would I confess to, anyway? It's just…with all the magic in this school and everything…and considering that the tree is obviously magical…I'm just worried that there _could_ actually be some truth to that silly rumor…."

"Hmm…don't know. It's a good question, though—who you'd confess to, I mean. I guess for us, like for most of the class, there isn't any boy around except for Kain-_sensei_."

"D-don't joke about things like that!" Mai insisted, flushing.

"What about you, Momo?" Kagome continued. "Do you have any boys that you like? Here, or back home at your…Soul Society, is it?"

"Ehhh!? N-no, I really don't think so…." Momo's shock at this question turned to a kind of depression as she gave it serious consideration. "I think…anyone I cared for enough to give that much of my heart to…they're already gone…."

"I wonder if Momo was in love with Kain's father, like Alyssa-_chan_," Kagome said blithely to Mai.

"Kagome!" Momo shrieked, red-faced.

"What was that, Kagome-_chan_?" Alyssa asked casually from just behind her. "It sounds like you're having an interesting conversation…."

"Ah, n-no, not at all!"

The talk of confessions and targets was also circulating through the main group, and Kiami slyly said to Sakura, "We have several girls in this class who need to watch out, or they'll spend all their time fighting off confessions; don't you think, Sakura-_chan_?"

"Are you talking about me, Kiami-_chan_?" Sakura answered brightly. "There's no need to worry. I'll just blow all my potential suitors off. Besides, I already have a boyfriend back home, so I don't need to go worrying about any of that."

This revelation shocked the chattering girls around her to silence, for never before had Sakura offered such a statement to the group before. "Er…boyfriend, Sakura-_chan_?" Akari ventured. "You have one?"

"Yes. Well, not officially, and he always plays it cool, but everyone knows he likes me even more than I like him, so we'll be an item one day. Once my father's ready for the idea."

This innocent declaration brought a whole new round of whispered discussion to the class, but it didn't last long as Kain chose that moment to walk into the room.

"Good afternoon, everyone. How's it going?" He glanced around. "It seems everyone's relaxing…."

"We're just taking a break," Hinagiku insisted. "Everyone has earned it; they've worked hard. Of course, most of the real work will be constantly cooking once the festival starts, since we don't want to take the easy way out and serve re-heated fast food…."

"Ah, but there is a problem there!" Kanade insisted. "We thought at first that we could just use this classroom and 3-B since they're preparing an outdoor stall, but it might not be enough! We don't have enough outlets for all the burners we'll need to get cooking properly!"

"Eh? You never mentioned…!"

Kain considered this difficulty. "I think I can come up with a solution to that. Don't worry about it any more; let me handle it."

"Eh!? Are you sure you can, Kain-_sensei_?"

_He can_, Mai thought with a slight smile. _Probably with magic. He wants to do his part, and that's still the easiest way to go about it._

As Kain assured the concerned leaders (Hinagiku, Erika, and Kanade), Yukari suddenly approached him. "Oh! Kain-_sensei_! Several members of our musical club have formed a band, and we'll be performing at the Festival's concert. You must come see us!" Her voice went a little lower. "And, if you see Kenjirô-_kun_, you should make sure he comes, too…."

The last part was missed by the class, but the bold declaration nevertheless caught their attention. "What! No fair!"

"We'll be preparing a special presentation at the Movie Study Club," Miki said. "You must come visit us there, too."

The rest of the class picked up on this new trend quickly. _('I see,')_ Kaoru thought. _('Of course, being able to see Kain-_sensei_, perhaps even go on a date with him during the Festival is a great idea, but just asking him out is too suspicious. Subtly ensnaring him with club activities comes first….')_

Akari was the next one to declare, however. "The Martial Arts Mastery Society will benefit from the presence of our masters, who will be visiting during the Festival," Akari informed him. "As my student, it is your duty to greet the masters and demonstrate your skills to them, and to the rest of the club as well."

"Right, _Shishô_!" Kain agreed.

"A-and the Track and Field Club will be doing demonstrations!" Kaoru cried, shoving the surprised Akari aside.

"During the Festival, you must visit us at the Fortune Telling Club!" Risa insisted, leaping on top of Kaoru to smother her.

Kamo was watching the scene from Nanami's shoulder. "This could get bad, Nanami-_chan_," he informed her. "As much as I enjoy these little fiascos, Kain could be in real trouble here. Be my mouthpiece?"

"I understand, Kamo-_kun_. Just let me handle this."

Nanami stormed into the mass of milling girls and separated them from the beleaguered teacher. "All right! Everyone back! All those who wish to employ the valuable time of our beloved Kain-_sensei_ must book an appointment with his manager, Jinnai Nanami!" She flourished a schedule book.

"W-what!? Hey, why do you get to be his manager!?"

"Shouting won't do you any good. Our teacher's time is precious…."

The complaining girls appealed to their president.

"Don't look at me," Hinagiku replied nonchalantly. "Kain-_sensei_ is far too kind to refuse any of his students' requests, and at this rate it seems like he'll be overwhelmed by the number of obligations he'll be under. A calm and rational mind keeping his duties in order sounds like a fine idea, and I think Nanami-_san_ will be neutral enough to take care of it." She looked up at Nanami and winked at her. "Can our teacher spare perhaps a half an hour to observe the _Kendô_ Club at six o'clock on the second day, Nanami-_san_?"

And with that, Kain's future began to be laid out for him. Thanks to the efforts of Nanami and Kamo, it didn't turn into too dreadful a situation….

"…Is what I'd like to say, Kain, but still, you have a lot of needy students asking for you time," Kamo remarked, showing Kain the appointments in the notebook.

Kain sighed, but he had a slight smile on his face. Nanami smirked. "Well, you do have three days, and while you don't have time for long visits—Hina-_chan_ made the right call asking for just a half-hour of your time and setting precedent—you should be able to satisfy everyone."

"It's all right, Kamo," Kain told him. "I was planning on seeing them all anyway, if I could. I am their teacher, after all."

Kagome, the only other person present at this little meeting away, smiled at him. "You really are too noble for your own good, Kain-_sensei_. Still, I'm sure that this will mean a lot to them. Do your best!"

"Right…." He stopped and glanced up as Kazumi approached, flanked by her two friends. She had a somewhat determined look on her face.

Nanami considered her and smiled slightly. _Oh…?_

"Kain-_sensei_," she greeted him, sounding far more at ease than usual in his presence. "I hate to impose upon you, Kain-_sensei_, but, well, our visit to the museum was interrupted…."

"Ah, that's right…I'm sorry…it seems I never did get to apologize properly for that…."

"No, it's fine, if…if perhaps we could make up for it during the Festival. Would you be willing to…see the Festival with me…?"

Kain stared at her in shock, then turned to look at his other two companions. Kagome's face was blank, and Nanami's look was of utter innocence. Finally he returned his attention to Kazumi and said, "Ah, well…I suppose I owe you that much…at least." Matake and Yukari exchanged quizzical glances at that statement, but Kain didn't really notice. "Sure, Kazumi-_san_. I'll…see the Festival with you for a time…."

"T-thank you, Kain-_sensei_!"

Nanami fixed an appointment on the last day. As the three friends went away happily, Kain sighed and fell back in the chair he was occupying. "Oh, goodness…I do owe Kazumi-_san_, but still…."

"Don't relax yet, Don Juan," Nanami teased him. "That was just part one. Part two is coming."

"Eh?"

Sure enough, they were now being approached by the Library Trio—Nodoka, Yue and Ami, with Nodoka in the lead. "Good afternoon, _minna_. Good afternoon, Kain-_sensei_," Ami greeted them.

"Ah, hello."

"Hello."

Nodoka didn't seem ready to offer anything else, and Kain asked, "…Is something the matter?"

"It's…it's…about…."

Yue nudged her slightly from behind, and like an engine it seemed to kick-start the tongue-tied girl. "The Library Exploration Club is having an adventure meeting!" Nodoka declared, offering a ticket to Kain. "You must come…please!"

The two supports behind her toppled in face-vaults at this, but recovered quickly. "The Math and Computer Clubs are working together on a presentation as well," Ami said, handing him a flyer. "And if you enjoy games, come visit the Chess Club…."

"And the Children's Literature Society will be holding a vocal reading as well," Yue added, "and the Philosophy Research Society will be exploring the book of a famous author, so you must come!"

As Yue was going into her spiels, Ami whispered to Nodoka, _"Nodoka, you need to try harder…."_

_"R-right!"_

Nodoka stepped forward again. "Erm…err…erm…er…during the School…School Festival…would you like to go out together with me…?" she finally asked, smiling quite brightly.

"A-ah…" Kain began, sweating anew.

"It's so embarrassing…I actually said it aloud!" Nodoka cried, pelting away at full speed before Kain could even begin a proper response.

"Nodoka!"

"Oh, after all her hard work…" Ami moaned. "Are you okay, Kain-_sensei_?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine…no problem with me."

"Please fit it in during the last day if you can," Yue pleaded.

Ami was already chasing Nodoka, calling her name. Yue started after her, but stopped and looked back at Kagome, who was staring after them with an odd look on her face. "Anything wrong, Kagome-_san_?"

She shook her head. "No…it's just…Nodoka-_san_'s courageous, isn't she?"

Yue smiled. "Yes, I think so, too."

She gave a polite bow to Kagome, and then started chasing Nodoka again, calling her name.

Kagome and Nanami watched her go, and then turned back to Kain. Nanami had a hand to her mouth to hide her chortling, while Kagome seemed to be almost leering at him. Kamo was sighing with satisfaction.

"Please, you three!" Kain begged. "This is hardly…."

He stopped as Sakura came up next. "That looked amusing," she commented. "Your popularity knows no bounds."

"Ah, Sakura-_san_…."

"It seems that you are very pressed for time already," Sakura continued. "Well, you've already been invited to most of my clubs' presentations, but for the sake of some I should schedule an outdoor tea session appointment with you." She glanced askew at him. "Will you be able to handle all of it?"

"I-it seems like it keeps getting worse every minute, but I should manage…."

"I see. I suppose it will be my duty to be available for all my clubs whenever you visit." She turned and started away, but gave the parting blessing: "Don't worry, Kain-_sensei_; you should be fine, even with all this."

"Any bets on who's next?" Kamo asked cheerfully.

"Kamo…."

"Kain-_kun_! There you are!"

Kenjirô came running up. "Registration for the Battle Tournament is almost over. Let's go register!"

"I'm not sure I want to…" Kain objected.

"Don't give me that! I'm not going to let you weasel out of it now! Don't you want to see what you've become capable of from your recent training?"

"If it's only martial arts, it's not going to be that good a demonstration…or a contest," Kain muttered.

"That's why I picked the Battle Tournament. It doesn't have a lot of information compared to some of the other contests there are, but there don't seem to be too many rules. I think this was the one Alyssa-_chan_ was talking about."

Kamo took the flyer from Kenjirô and examined it. "Hmm, quite a prize there…."

"I'm not sure I have the time," Kain persisted. "My schedule is already so full…."

"I think it would be worth squeezing out some time to fit it in," Kamo said, looking up from the flyer. "It could be a good time to test your skills. Who knows whom you could meet…?"

"Right!" Kenjirô agreed. "But like Alyssa-_chan_ mentioned earlier, I think there is an age limit—adults only, so we'll need to go get some of her pills."

"No need to 'go get them'…I'm right here." Alyssa, with Miyu at her usual place, came walking up. She glanced at Kain's schedule. "Well, so full, so full. Amazing, Kain-_sensei_…so quick you are to make promises and appointments. Two dates, even! I'm actually feeling neglected."

Her voice was teasing as she began to pace around, speaking as if she were talking out loud to herself. "It would be best if you practiced your skills against real fighters in a tournament, so that's a must. Oh, there must be a punishment affixed if you don't do well enough. If you lose…perhaps we'll find another use for these pills, yes. Maybe we'll both take them and go on a date in adult forms for the whole last day. Maybe…maybe not?" She stopped and grinned at Kain. "Don't fill your schedule up too much. I may have plans for you…."

"Really, Alyssa…."

"Now's not the time to be bold with me, boy. I'm done you so many favors, training you, providing you and your party of little lovebirds time and a place to train to your hearts' content. I may be merciful and leave you alone during the festival, but if I get the whim, it will be time for you to pay your dues, understood? Come, Miyu." And she imperiously started away.

"This is really getting ridiculous," Kain sighed, looking anew at his newly-updated and potentially dangerous schedule. "Everyone in the class…and I still had a few other things I wanted to do, too…."

"Well, we'll work something out," Kamo assured him.

The day before the Festival dawned. Kain and the rest of the class headed towards the classroom for the last preparations for their restaurant, but the girls took the time to pour over the school newspaper again for more Festival goodies, and remarked upon the new front-page legend story, telling how the Mahora Tree glowed every night during the Festival, once every 22 years. The cause was (reportedly) a special kind of moss that grew on the tree, a strange idea that was not at all disputed. This year, however, was only 21 years since the last phenomenon, but it was predicted that the tree would glow, due to recent atmospheric changes.

Kain half-listened to them, walking along, until Shizuna appeared and hailed him. "Kain-_sensei_…the principal has summoned you to a meeting. Please head straightway to the Mahora World Tree."

Kain blinked, surprised. "Eh? The tree? All right…."

"Yes. Also, Hinamori-_san_ and Sendô-_san_ are to accompany you."

The two girls exchanged glances and nodded while Kain looked back at them briefly. "All right…we're on our way….

"What do you suppose he wants to talk about?" Kain wondered aloud as they headed up towards the designated point.

"I'm not sure," Momo admitted. "They've never done anything like this before…."

"Wait," Erika said. "We're almost there…but even for this early in the morning, isn't it awfully deserted around the tree?"

"Yes…."

There was just a single crowd right in front of the tree…the principal and a group assembled about him. Kain cried with delight upon recognizing Takamichi. Meia was there, as well as several other teachers, and about a dozen students, boys and girls, with both middle school and high school uniforms on, Iori, Kenjirô, and Rakasu among them.

"Ah, Kain-_kun_…Hinamori-_kun_…and Erika-_kun_," the principal greeted them. "We've been waiting for you."

A few greetings and pleasantries were exchanged, and then the principal began again, "Now, the people assembled here are usually scattered throughout the academy at its various levels—elementary, middle, and high schools. We are all magic teachers…and magic pupils. Most specifically, these are the most active members of Mahora's Magic Council."

Kain stared in amazement as several teachers he had not suspected of being mages greeted him and took his hand, including a pair who had accompanied him (leading other classes) at the class trip to Kyoto. He marvelled at the students present but felt some twinge of satisfaction that he had suspected Rakasu of magical knowledge all along. Still, he couldn't help but feel a little hurt that this much hadn't been revealed to him until now.

Momo must have picked up on his vibe, because she whispered to him, "To be honest, I didn't know this much about them either until just now. I guess they just can't help their secrecy when dealing with outsiders, even other magically-aware people like us."

The principal finally took charge again. "Now, I've gathered all of us here today so that we may deal with a crisis…one that we must strive diligently to overcome."

"An enemy of some sort?" Kenjirô asked with interest. "What kind of enemy could demand the attention of this many mages?" Kain looked concerned.

"No, no," the principal soothed them both. "Not like the recent troubles you've dealt with, Kain-_kun_. It's a serious matter, but not of the same ilk. In truth, it's about the World Tree's legend of granting true love."

Kenjirô's stance instantly changed to one of boredom. "What, that? That silly little story for girls?"

"What about it?" Kain asked, confused.

"It is not a silly little story…not this year. The tales about bringing together couples and answering unrequited love will almost certainly come true. It happens…once every 22 years."

They stared at him. He continued, "Ladies and gentlemen, starting now and continuing until the end of the Festival's third day, the legend of the World Tree will come true. Until that time, our most important mission is to watch out for students looking to take advantage of this legend, and stop any confessions from occurring."

As most of those assembled continued to stare, one brown-haired boy Kain's age muttered, "Mr. Principal, several members of your audience simply can't comprehend the magnitude of the situation and recognize it only as idiocy. Please explain to them the reason for all this so that they understand."

"Oh, yes…excuse me, Tsukai-_kun_. You're right…I should explain a bit more…."

"That's right," Kain pleaded. "Even assuming that what you say is true…why is it so important that we stop these confessions? Isn't having their fondest wishes fulfilled a good thing?"

"Should you be saying that, Kain-_sensei_?" Momo muttered sweetly. "Half the class wants to confess to _you_. Would you like the tree to force you to respond favorably to all of them?"

"H-huh? W-what? W-well, I…."

The principal continued, "The students have been taught to revere this tree, but it is not just a historic landmark. It is a truly magical tree, one of the world's twelve Mana Trees whose purpose is to support magic itself. It radiates a strong amount of magic, as you are all aware. You are also aware that its magical power reserves build up over the course of 22 years before reaching their peak and releasing their charge, and the School Festival is timed over the period when the strongest buildup occurs each year. This buildup is the cause for the legendary glow it undergoes during this period, which glow we have attributed to some ridiculous moss or something. Now, less well-known is the fact that there are six particularly strong vents for magic around the tree, forming a kind of hexagram or magic circle around it. Those points are the particularly dangerous ones, the places where the tree's power and influence are strongest.

"That magic can't be used to grant just any wishes, of course. Someone standing on one of these points and wishing for something silly like money, world conquest, or a girl's panties won't see anything happen. But there are some wishes that, if uttered at these points, can have effects—and the unique way it works is a particular trap for our young minds here a the academy.

"Magic, when built up sufficiently, can generate sentience. The tree itself, as a Mana Tree, has a limited amount of sentience, and it is more fully aware of the world around it during these periods when its stored mana is highest. However, awareness does not equal understanding. It is generally of a friendly disposition, and wishes to bring happiness when it can…and it can understand emotions much more easily than anything else. It can recognize the fervent wishes inherent in the confession and use its magic to grant the wish, spreading its influence over the target of the confession and compelling them to reward the proffered feelings. There's nothing we can really do about this—the tree is not sapient enough for us to convince it to do otherwise.

"Now, why is this bad? Of course, even just exerting a magical compulsion over students, forcing them to return affection to those they may not truly care for, to the extent that they can be compelled is…well, it varies by the situation, but let's just say that the tree, despite its friendly disposition, also has no real understanding of morality. And, perhaps worst of all, the compulsion is only temporary, and usually fades after the condition is fulfilled. All in all, it should be obvious why this would be a problem."

"I-I see," Kain mused. "All right, I understand why this is bad…but you keep mentioning 22 years. Hasn't it only been 21 years since the last buildup? Is the weather really the reason for this?"

"Actually, we don't know why it is happening now…something is drawing mana from the tree in such a way that it is accelerating the rate that it accumulates magic, and we haven't been able to determine the cause. It's troublesome, but there's nothing we can do about that right now; we have to deal with this problem, which is, naturally, being further accelerated through the spreading of rumors."

"Yes," agreed Meia, looking over a collection of notes. "Naturally, students flock to such mystical ideas, but there are a large number of clubs that are further propagating them throughout the school. The 'Seven Wonders of the Academy Research Society', the 'Academy Chronicle', the 'Occult Society', and the 'World Tree Study Society', among others, have been publishing many articles and papers on the subject."

"And this brings us back to our main point and purpose here," declared a third teacher, examining his notes. "While not malicious in nature, and while they are acting through ignorance of the real dangers, we must absolutely stop all confessions from taking place around the tree, at least at these six points. Away from them, there is no danger, but these points are absolutely off-limits."

A shy, red-headed middle school girl holding a broom suddenly looked up. "Someone…is watching us."

The assembled teachers and most of the students suddenly grew alert. Meia turned her head and raised her right hand. She had a ring on her index finger, and, clenching her first, she pressed the side of it with her thumb. A beam of light shot out and into the sky…and vaporized a small machine that had been floating in the air just above a nearby roof.

"That was not a normal MagiTech machine," one teacher noted. "It had some trace amounts of mana and…some other power in it."

"A student, trying to find out the identity of the magic teachers?"

"It may be the same as _that source_ of trouble…."

"Chase them," the principal insisted. "We have no idea how much they know…or what their plans may be with the information they've gathered."

Up on a roof some distance away, two heavily-cloaked figures were somewhat calmly discussing the situation.

"Ah…they blew it up…I worked so hard on it."

"I warned you not to underestimate your magic teachers, Chief. You should have let me take care of it. It's my mission, after all."

"But you're already doing so much, and I want my machines to take care of themselves…."

"We'll worry about that later. They'll be after us in a moment. You head back; I'll draw their attention so you can escape."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be perfectly fine…."

Several of the teachers and students vanished in pursuit of the interlopers. "What's going on?" Kain asked, curious.

"Don't worry about it," the principal said negligently. "You have more than enough on your plate already. I'd like to ask you, Hinamori-_kun_, Erika-_kun_ and Kenjirô-_kun_ to handle some of the students' confessions, if you can. Can I count on you?"

"I'm sure they're all _more _than capable, oh Principal," Iori crowed, throwing his arms around Kain's and Erika's shoulders. "Kain-_sensei_ especially is well aware of the danger of confessing girls, isn't he?"

"S-Sendô-_senpai_…."

"Hmm, yes, well…I have things I must hurry and attend to," the principal muttered. "I'm counting on you…but make sure you don't work too hard." He wandered off.

Still grasping the two younger students, Iori waved to the principal as he departed. "Well, I suppose Kain-_sensei_ might have more than his hands full just warding off the confessions from his own class," he continued playfully.

"Sendô-_senpai_! Please! Each and every one of you…."

"Oh, does Kain-_sensei_ not wish to admit his popularity? Or perhaps he just doesn't want to accept it?" Smirking, Iori finally let go and turned away. "You obviously feel very strongly about the members of your class, and they all feel very strongly about you…but the way you feel is perhaps somewhat different. I'd love to discuss this with you, but perhaps another time. I should probably help investigate who the little spy was."

"What is that about?" Kain demanded again. "I'm tired of being left in the dark."

Iori shrugged. "Honestly, we don't know. We do know someone has been cleverly spying on our Magic Council meetings recently, and we've been unable to catch the culprit. Some of the teachers think it may be related to the source of the information blackout from when Alyssa-_chan_ attacked you. We're really not sure…but at this time, it's very dangerous for someone with a great deal of magical ability and knowledge who is not part of the Magic Council to be left to roam around the school freely. If I find there's anything interesting to report or could use any help, I'll contact you. Ta!" And he was off.

"Well, in any case…I'm not sure if I misjudged you or not," Kenjirô noted as the four started back towards the main part of the school. The plaza was suddenly filling with clueless students again. "Your lack of time to help out with this is _because_ of the problem. All those appointments with girls, even Kazumi-_san_ and Hirai-_san_…."

"Easy, easy," Momo insisted pleasantly. "It's not…_entirely_ his fault…."

"Yes, I suppose he could always be like Narita-_sensei_," Erika muttered. "Maybe he should try to curb his popularity that way…."

A figure came falling out of the sky then, appearing almost instantly in the air about fifteen feet above them and then falling into their midst.

"S-Sakura-_san_? What are you…?"

Sakura looked at them in surprise. "Kain-_sensei_!" she cried in delight. "You have to help me! There are some evil mages chasing me!"

"Evil mages…?" Kain looked up and saw a swarm of small magic familiars coming down from the sky towards them. He didn't have time to contemplate this event; he unleashed a bright flash of light and the five of them disappeared while the creatures were blinded….

The Mahora blimp coasted slowly over the academy. It boomed out, "Good morning, students! There's still 14 hours until the start of the Festival. Activity Organizers, please come to the School Festival Committee at 10 o'clock today!"

Hawkers were selling tickets for the 'Pre-Festival Night', an evening party celebrating the Festival's arrival. Izumi, Miki and Riza looked over at it as they passed by.

"Hmm…the Pre-Festival Night…it would be fun to go," Izumi mentioned.

"Probably," Miki noted. "But it will continue late into the night…I'm partial to sleep, as well."

"Sleep, or the party," Riza mused. "What a conundrum…."

Something came flashing by and smashed into a light pole, bending it. Several more bursts of speed also ruined a few pieces of the area around them.

"W-what was that?" Izumi whined. "So loud…."

Kenjirô, Momo, Erika, and Kain (carrying Sakura) were in a bit of a bind—they were moving fast enough, using all their powers, that they were mostly unnoticed by the milling students, but it was dangerous to continue like this. On the other hand, if they took to the air, the pursuing familiars could more easily find and track them….

"What's this about, Sakura-_san_?" Kain demanded. "Are you a mage?" Kain recalled that she was one of the girls he had tested who had a disturbing lack of magical power, yet this….

"N-no, not actually…although my family has plenty of ties to this world…."

"So who's after you, Sakura-_chan_?" Momo asked.

"I'm not sure…it could be anyone…."

"It's not traditional Eastern magic," Erika noted. "These are more Western-like summoned spirits, rather than _Shikigami_. They're somewhat like Alyssa-_chan_'s monsters…."

The five ducked behind one building and considered a moment. "The mage directing them is skilled," Kamo noted. "We won't be able to evade them forever. Perhaps its best to wipe them out—that would give us a chance to get away, or maybe it could even draw out the perpetrator…."

"Sounds good." Kain concentrated on a spell. "They're close…let's go!"

The four leapt up on top of the roof, right into the swarm of familiars. Spell, sword, and fist made short work of the swarm, and they ducked back to rejoin Sakura (and Kamo, who had stayed on her shoulder for this).

Several students heard the noise and turned to see the explosion of lights above the roofs. "Fireworks, already? This should be an awesome Festival…."

Some distance away, the mage raised her head in surprise. "They destroyed all my familiars…it was so fast, I can't even tell what they did…."

"That flash was Western magic," the little redhead murmured. "There's a Western mage among them…."

Their leader scowled. "Sanada Sakura has allies? This could become even more troublesome. We better pursue and deal with them directly…."

"Ah, thanks, Kain-_sensei_! I'm saved!"

"We can't let our guard down yet," Erika insisted. "If they're this determined to catch you, they won't stop at just sending low-level familiars. We should find someplace safe to hide…."

"Right," Sakura agreed cheerfully. "We shouldn't wait around…."

"Wait," Momo began. She was staring hard at Sakura, who merely smiled back at her. Kain glanced between the two. He could swear there was quite a bit of resemblance there….

"Who are you really, Sakura-_chan_?" Momo demanded, oblivious to Kain's thoughts. "What is this about? You seem to be involved in the magical realm, but…."

"There'll be time for those questions later," Kenjirô insisted. "Four enemies are approaching…pretty powerful mages, I think. Not more little summoned beasts…it seems we have drawn them out."

"Ah…no good," Sakura muttered. "If I'm caught, who knows what they'll do to me…."

"Well, what's our strategy, Kain-_sensei_?" Momo asked.

"Let them find us. When they get within range, we'll leap out and ambush them. Kamo, you can interfere with their magic senses, right?"

"Of course. Just give me the word."

"Right. Everyone gets a target. When we're in range, flank and take them." He cast a spell and concentrated. "Enemies: two high. Momo and I will take them. Kenjirô-_kun_, take the one coming in on the right, and Erika-_san_, the left. Ready?"

"Right."

"Go, Kamo!"

The cautiously approaching figures blinked in surprise when their magical senses and communication were cut off. And then….

The little redhead looked around nervously, clutching her broom, but then suddenly the shadow was behind her. She managed to bring the broom around to block the sword, but the strike was weak, and Kenjirô followed the attack by releasing a burst of energy that blew her away like a wind. She hit the wall and then found herself on the ground, one arm twisted up behind her in a vice-like grip and a sword at her neck.

The girl with the black hair instinctively palmed a jewel into her hand, and she spotted the figure racing towards her and raised it. She managed to fire a burst of energy out of the jewel, but Erika was on her already, grabbing her by the throat and forcing her to the ground.

The brown-haired girl started to re-cast a spell, but Momo leapt high above her. "Snap." Momo's card transformed into her sash, and it snaked down towards her. The girl's hasty spell rebounded off the cloak, and as it swept around the girl Momo came in behind it with a spell. "_Bakudô_ 4: _Hainawa_!" With the sash wrapped around her legs and the spell around her arms, she was pulled over onto the ground.

The blue-haired woman was more alert and ready than all of them. She dodged Kain's first strike, and didn't even panic when Kain moved behind her, shadowing her with his back to hers. She whirled around and Kain moved simultaneously, the two of them turning a fast dance as each tried to flank the other. They ended in a stalemate stare-down, the woman with her fist extended, Kain with his sword in the face of….

"M-Meia-_sensei_!?"

"Kain-_sensei_!?"

The other three pairs of combatants likewise came to sudden identifications of their opponents.

"You are…Tear Grants?" Momo wondered, lowering her sword away from her ensnared foe.

"Hinamori…Momo…."

"T-Tôsaka-_senpai_?"

"W-what is the meaning of this, Sendô Erika-_san_!?"

"Hey," Kenjirô said. "You were at the meeting…."

The young girl was almost in tears at this treatment.

"Ah…"

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?"

The ten were now gathered at a park nearby, Kain and his friends (including both Momo and her _gigai_,which she had vacated immediately and left lying low while they escorted Sakura away) on one side, and the other four on the other. Besides Meia, their recent foes consisted of the high schoolers Tear Grants and Rin Tôsaka and middle schooler Mei Sakura. Tear possessed long brown hair and blue eyes, with a heavy swathe of bangs that covered her right eye. Rin was the same age, with her long hair mostly loose but tied by black ribbons into two long pigtails on the side of her head; her eyes were aqua. Tear's demeanor was cold and businesslike, almost like Meia's own. Rin's, on the other hand, was much more animated, and she scowled with fury at the interlopers.

Mei, on the other hand, was much younger—she was a 2nd year middle schooler, a year younger than Kain and his peers—and seemed to be in a constant state of fighting between edgy nervousness and desperate attentiveness.

Meia scowled at Kain. "We're the ones who need answers here. What is the meaning of this, Kain-_kun_? Why are you protecting this criminal?"

"Criminal?" Kain glanced back at Sakura.

Sakura put her index fingers together in an abashed manner. "Criminal…that's a bit harsh, Meia-_sensei_…."

"Why? Well, I am her teacher," Kain finally answered. "She suddenly appeared, in trouble and needing help…as her teacher, it's only natural that I leap to her defense. What did you think I would do?"

Meia calmed somewhat. "That is true…I suppose you don't know anything about Sanada Sakura and this situation? She was responsible for the machine that was spying on our meeting back there."

"Really?" Kain looked at Sakura in surprise once again. She shrugged this time.

"We've been tracking her since we detected and destroyed her device. A similar probe has been responsible for spying on several meetings of the Magic Council over the past few weeks. Until now, we've never been able to trace the source, but this was definitely the same probe. Unless Sanada-_san_ wishes to deny her involvement in this?"

Meia glared at Sakura, who shrugged again. "I certainly can't deny involvement in those activities."

"Then that's settled. Rin, Tear, take Sanada-_san_ into custody."

The two older girls moved to her, but Kain boldly stood in front of them and held out a hand. "What are you planning on doing with her?"

Meia stared at Kain for a second before replying. "Sanada-_san_ is not a registered mage, and she is now guilty of spying on the affairs of the Magic Council. She must be apprehended and processed—her memories will be erased and replaced, and, depending on how the situation is judged by the principal, she may also be expelled from Mahora."

Kain shook his head. "T-this is so sudden…."

"Perhaps," Meia agreed. "Normally, we would give a warning…but even though it's the first time we've been able to identify her, we've just proven that this is not Sanada-_san_'s first offense, and furthermore the information she's been stealing is among the most sensitive we have. There is no room for pity to the detriment of justice—not in this situation."

"What is your difficulty with this situation, Kain-_sensei_?" Tear demanded. "You must know that the secret of magic must be protected. Hand her over!"

"No. Sanada Sakura is my student…she is my responsibility, and she is under my protection. 'Registered' or not, I don't believe that she is enough of a threat to warrant this treatment."

The four stared at him. "You must be absolutely crazy!" Rin cried in disgust. "Are you in _love_ with this girl or something?"

Kain blinked in surprise. "No. Why?"

The four stared at him again, then exchanged glances. "W-what a model teacher…" Mei murmured.

Meia considered Kain carefully. "You're determined to defy the rules of magic on behalf of Sanada-_san_, regardless?"

"Defy the rules of magic? No. But I will plead on her behalf. Sanada-_san_ is one of my most respected and responsible students. I cannot answer for what she has done, but I cannot believe that she is any threat to the magic realm. I will take responsibility for her."

"I see. In that case…."

"Meia Gisborn-_san_." The group turned to stare at Momo. "As a representative of the Seireitei, I also ask for a stay on Sanada Sakura's sentence. She is a person of interest to the Seireitei."

Meia actually opened her mouth in shock at this statement, but she recovered quickly. "On behalf of the Seireitei," she murmured. "You must have quite an interest in this case." She stared hard at the girl, then nodded.

"Well, the principal has generally advised us to trust your judgment and treat you as a proper teacher, rather than a child," she finally continued. "With your supplication and the request of the Seireitei…we have no cause to take Sanada Sakura at this time. I shall still report this incident to the principal, and if anything further happens, we may be forced to take action." She nodded at Kain. "Have a good afternoon, Kain-_sensei_." She turned away. Her three student aides hurried after her.

"Is this really all right?" Tear demanded.

"For now. Besides…the _shinigami_ aside, those three children handled themselves quite well, didn't they? As expected of Kalan Lockeheart's son."

After watching them go, the group turned to Sakura, who put her hands together and bowed. "Thank you Kain-_sensei_…Momo-_chan_…for standing up for me…."

Kain tried not to revert to his usual pleasant expression. "I'm interested to know why you're doing this, Sakura-_san_…why you're so interested in the magical world's secrets…and just who you are."

Sakura looked at him, surprised. "Hmm?"

"As they said, you're not a registered mage," Kain said. "However, I can't believe that you're not involved in the magical world. In which case…who are you, really? Are you a demon like Alyssa? Or…."

"Ah Kain-_sensei_…so many questions!" Sakura said cheerfully. "Well, I promise, I'll tell you everything before this is all over…everything important, anyway. But you're right…I'm not a normal human. I can tell you that I'm an alien time-traveler esper slider! How about that?"

The four stared at her. "What are you, the entirety of the SOS Brigade?" Kenjirô demanded in disgust.

"Hehe…all those titles are actually technically correct, although 'esper' is perhaps stretching the definition a bit."

"Okay…" Erika said slowly. "That aside, what is your motivation here? Kain-_sensei_ stood up for you there, but if you have some dangerous purpose here…."

"Ah, Erika-_fukukaichô_!" Sakura chided her sweetly. "Asking the question really doesn't do much good. 'Are you carrying bombs onto this airplane?' Why on earth would I admit to wrongdoing, even if I was planning on it?

"You'll have to take me on trust," she continued, reaching into a pocket. "But, Kain-_sensei_…as thanks for helping me…and as proof of my sincerity…I'll offer you this gift. It should help a little with your overflowing schedule during the Festival."

"An egg?" Mai demanded, examining the item.

"Sakura-_san_ says that it's an item that can help with my…schedule problems," Kain explained. "Apparently it's MagiTech, but I can't figure out anything about it. She insisted I keep it with me."

"Maybe it'll hatch into a Kain clone," Kamo suggested. "That would allow Kain to go to twice as many events…I doubt it would be too bright, however. I could always make clones like that…."

"Well, let's worry about that later," Kagome sighed. She turned to Momo, who was lost in thought. "You too, Momo! It's time for the Pre-Festival Night! Let's enjoy ourselves!"

"E-eh? Y-yeah, right…."

Trying to forget the many new troubles the day had brought them, the class thronged into the square for an evening of music, food and fireworks.

And high above, Sakura watched over the celebration, with Caria next to her and Miyu flanking her creator. "So, Kain-_sensei_ might be an ally?" Caria asked hopefully.

"Oh, I don't know. But he is everything I thought he would be…everything he should be. He's not enough yet, however. Well, however it goes, everything should turn out fine…."

Performing airplanes from the university's Aeronautics Club gave an opening performance, and with the morning light the Festival was ushered in. Crowds of students and civilians from the surrounding area and all over thronged to watch the floats, parades, bands and other paraphernalia. The loudspeaker announced the commencement of the 78th Mahora Festival.

"H-huge," Kain remarked, glancing around in mixed fright and amazement.

"Of course it is," Lecture-Mode Yue informed him. "This academy is internationally-funded, of course, and this is a world-famous event. It is estimated that 40 million people will visit the Festival over the next three days."

"F-forty million…." Kain looked a little like Hinagiku upon finding herself at height. He was from a state with a population nearly 100 times smaller than that.

"Of course, while the Festival officially lasts three days, many important groups and individuals stay for longer than that, and the Festival doesn't truly end for at least a week."

"A-and they allow us to dress up however we like during the Festival," Nodoka continued, and the three girls posed in their witch-like, bat-headdress-adorned black dresses. "It's really interesting to see what people will wear."

Yue continued explaining the socio-economical aspect of the Festival and the crowds and families it attracted. From the way she described it, during this Festival it seemed that Mahora had transformed into Walt Disney World. She even noted that the Festival's business side earned approximately 2 billion yen a day.

"There are even some companies and individuals who can earn several million yen over the course of the event. The true purpose of the Festival is to develop international relationships, so it is allowed…."

"This is a guide for the Festival." Nodoka handed it to Kain.

"Ah, thank you, Nodoka…."

He examined the map inside. Yes, it really did look like a theme park….

"In any case, the first thing we should do is check on our restaurant," Ami said. "We won the draw to introduce the Festival to you, but the rest of them will get quite angry with us if we keep you for too long this early…and we have to do our part, too."

Kain agreed, and they soon made their way to the classroom…which had been utterly transformed….

"No, wait, before that…what's with this line!?"

"_Kaichô_, _Fukukaichô_ and Sakura-_san_ are the three most popular and famous girls in the middle school," Ami explained. "It's no surprise that their restaurant would be so successful. Although, as Sakura-_san_ noted before, we have many fine chefs in our class…."

Kanade and Izumi stood at the door, allowing in the customers. They spotted Kain and crowed in delight. "Kain-_sensei_! You came to visit us?"

"We're here for our shifts, too," Yue mentioned.

"You've got to come in, Kain-_sensei_! Try some of our food!" The two began to drag Kain into the room. The other customers began to protest at this.

"Sorry for this, but he's allowed…he's our teacher!"

The customers stared after them, the men glowering. _('Their teacher? He's the luckiest stiff in the world….')_

The effect was magical, to be sure. Not only were the girls adorned in a variety of beautiful dresses and outfits, but Hinagiku had gone all-out in acquiring the materials to give the setting a professional, aesthetic look, with fine tables covered by rich tablecloths, beautiful tableware and glasses…it was hard to believe this was the same place where he instructed them every day.

They sat him down in a special VIP seat near the entrance to the other room where they were doing the cooking. And then the trouble started….

The clubs had not yet started their own activities, as the school wanted the class activities to dominate the first half-day or so, and so the entire class was present to get the ball rolling. And once they learned that Kain-_sensei_ had come to see their restaurant, the girls went into overzealous impression mode. Forgetting the order and the other customers, they came rushing out with dishes that they threw on Kain's table, begging him to eat, and, naturally, being the sensitive gentleman that he was, he consumed everything they put in front of him. The hard work of the chefs was paying off, as the food was excellent, but naturally, in comedic fashion it turned into torture as Kain bloated himself on the food.

Finally Sakura came out and observed the situation with a sigh. "Goodness, _minna_," she chided her classmates. "I know you all want to impress Kain-_sensei_, but you can't stuff him like a Thanksgiving turkey! Even if he's a teenage boy, there are limits to what he can eat…."

Kain moaned. "N-no, I'm fine…."

"Hardly. You won't get anything done in that condition. Momo-_chan_?"

Momo started. "W-what?"

"Would you please take Kain-_sensei_ to the nurse's office so he can rest and recover from his overeating? Oh, and here…take this tea. Make sure to give him some. It's good for digestion. You should have some, too."

"Ah…right." Momo was naturally suspicious as to why the mysterious Sakura had asked her, specifically, to take Kain-_sensei_, but as several of the girls began to clamor about how unfair this was, it seemed a wise enough course of action. In this case, Sakura was quite right—Kain's kindness had once again caused him to suffer, and having a reliable companion take him away would be in his best interest.

Mai watched them go, frowning. She was also wondering what Sakura's game was…but there was no time to worry about that now. She had more orders to fill….

"Sorry about this, Momo…."

"It's not a problem. Maybe it's better this way. How much time do you have? I know it's precious right now…."

"Ah, yes…but right now it isn't bad. I don't actually have any plans scheduled for the first day—not the morning or early afternoon, anyway. I was leaving that time to my personal enjoyment of the Festival. My first event is the meeting with Nodoka at four…."

"Eh? That? I thought that was the third day…."

"Well, between everything else and Alyssa's threats, the third day is pretty busy, so Nodoka said we could have it the first day…."

"I see…well, you should recover by then. Sakura-_san_ is a member of the tea ceremony club and a master maker of strange and exotic teas, so this should help if she says so. I'm looking forward to trying it myself."

"You're not suspicious of it?" Kain asked casually.

"Oh? Well, Sakura-_san_ is still intent on keeping her own secrets and exposing the Magic Council's, but I think…she's honest enough at heart. For now, I don't think we have to worry about her…."

They finally arrived, and Momo helped Kain into a bed. She then mixed and prepared the tea for the two of them and they drank away. Kamo, who had accompanied Kain all morning, insisted on a cup as well, and they discussed the Festival for a short time. And then they all began to nod off….

Kain started and awoke. He looked around sleepily and yawned. That was strange. It was…dark inside….

He began to recollect the recent events, and his eyes flew open. "Eh!?" He jumped up. "W-what time is it!? How long was I asleep!?"

Momo blinked and sat up, yawning herself. "Wow, I'm sleepy…what are you yelling about, Kain-_sensei_?"

"The time…eight o'clock!? I've been asleep almost ten hours!?"

Momo finally came to grips with what Kain was saying. "W-wait, what!? We overslept that long!? Oh, no…what about Nodoka-_chan_? What about the rest of your duties and planned activities?"

"Ah, Nodoka! She's…she's probably been waiting all this time…four hours…Kamo!"

Kamo was lying on his back on the desk nearby next to his teacup, actually dozing…something Kain had never actually seen before. Usually when he needed 'rest' he faded away, obstensibly to return to his home plane of magic. He stirred, transformed into a little ball of white light, and then re-transformed into his usual form, lying on his stomach. "Mornin', kiddo…is it too early for breakfast?"

"Kamo, what happened to you!? How could you have slept through everything!?"

"Slept through…? Wait, what the heck? How did I fall asleep?" He examined his tea cup and swore. "That little brat…she must have actually drugged us! I can't believe it! Why? Of all the things to do, why make us sleep through the day?"

"There's no time!" Kain moaned, grabbing his cloak and swinging it around his shoulders. "Maybe if Nodoka's still waiting at the meeting site I can at least apologize to her on my hands and knees…."

In his action of swinging the cloak the egg Sakura had given him flew out. Surprised, Kain nonetheless managed to catch the egg. It suddenly began to glow and pulsed, and there was a flash of light that filled the room. When it faded, the location was the same…but the scene had changed. Light flooded into the room from the window. Outside, the sounds of fireworks and bi-planes could be heard. A loudspeaker was announcing the start of the 78th Mahora Festival.

Kain and Momo ran to the window and stared out in shock. The floats, the parades, the bands, the performers…it was all there. "What…is this…?"

The Mahora Festival had started…all over again.

_Author's Note: Character Introduction: Meia Gisborn and Sakura Sanada_

_ I think most of the chapters are going to be long in Act 4. As I already mentioned, the Festival arc is huge. There were several decent stopping points, but going this far allowed me to give intros for both Meia and Sakura._

_ I have a lot to say about them, so I won't waste much time with other notes. This is pretty much following the Festival Arc of the original Negima story pretty close, with few additions. As usual, the character changes give the biggest shake-up._

_M eia Gisborn comes from what remains my favorite anime ever, Vandread, the sci-fi tale of three men lost in space on a ship with 150 women. Meia is my favorite character from that series, and girl #4 on my list of top ladies. She opens as an overbearing and stubborn 'witch' who can't stand Hibiki and won't give the kid a break at all; however, a series of episodes early on reveals her character and develops her into a more mellow and likeable character. By the end, she's the best. _

_ She is 'old' for an anime heroine (not including inhumans like Momo), being nineteen years old, and didn't fit the bill as a student. However, as she is a 'big sister' type to several of the Vandread characters and, being stern and responsible, she makes a fine teacher. She was introduced way back the first chapter (the _VERY_ first chapter, which is so long ago now…) but has not made much of an appearance before now. Of course, except for Shizuna and Narita, none of the other teachers really made an appearance before the Festival arc in the original…._

_ Fairy Tail—another magical world anime/manga that I will bring in a little more later on in the story—introduces many different kinds of magic, including ring magic. Since Meia's primary weapon in the anime Vandread (when she wasn't piloting her Dread) was the odd ring-laser, I decided to give her that and let her use a similar brand of ring magic. She can fire various attack spells from her ring, and produce magic shields, and do a few other spells as well; mostly, she can cast a wide variety of spells, using her ring as a focus and amplifier._

_ Now, on to Sakura Sanada. Ah, Sakura…well, we shall begin by mentioning her original, Chao Lingshen. Chao is the antagonist of the Festival arc; just like Sakura, she is 'the #1 superwoman of Class 3-A'. She relies mostly on science mixed with a bit of magic, and is, in fact, the descendant of Negi, a 'Martian from the future', as she introduces herself…and she is exactly telling the truth, as Mars is the site of the magical world, that land superimposed in a half-step-off dimension on the red planet. Sakura is similarly exactly truthful. Chao has come from the future to change it, using the power of the World Tree during the Mahora Festival._

_ An interesting character, but I didn't want her in here. Among other things, I didn't want her to be Kain's descendant. Ah, but what to do? Chao's time-traveling abilities make the Festival interesting, however, so I had to keep it. What to do…my usual conundrum…._

_ I could have made another descendant of Kain, my own creation, but didn't want to go that route. True, I'm shamelessly ripping off the Negima story this entire way, but giving Kain some half-baked descendant seemed so…trite, somehow, and cheap. Then I had another brainstorm and settled upon Sakura. Sakura comes from yet another of my 500 different story ideas. I can't reveal too much about her yet, but she is a character with powers over time and space, a kind of random spawn from a story outline…an idea. But as I developed her, I grew quite fond of her…but the story idea was never one I could honestly write. It's amazing how she fits in so well here, so I'm quite pleased I get the chance to use her._

_ But, wait…if she's replacing Chao, does that make Sakura a villain? Well, 'antagonist' is a title I prefer in this case—like Chao, the actions she undertakes are not evil in and of themselves, nor are her motives bad—her ideals and ideas are simply contrary to the local establishment. You'll have to decide for yourself from what happens whether she deserves the title 'villain' or not..._

_ As Chao did, Sakura described herself technically correctly. 'Alien', of course, refers mostly (and in her sense) as a being not born on the planet Earth. 'Time Traveler' is self-explanatory. 'Esper' technically refers to someone with 'ESP', or Extra Sensory Perception, although in most fictions the term 'esper' is used for any individual with psychic or psionic powers, and in _anime_ even those terms are very loosely used at times, sometimes even describing generic superpowers. As Sakura said, she can be defined by this term only by stretching the definition to its limits. And, of course, 'slider' is a common term for 'dimension-travelers', people who travel between alternate universes or realities, 'sliding' between worlds. Yes, I stole this description of hers directly from the four things Haruhi Suzumiya asks for at the beginning of her high school career (she received all but the slider), yes, Sakura is aware of this franchise, and yes Kenjirô made mention of it as a Hayate-like joke even though it can't possibly be in this world (in its normal form) since one of the members of the SOS Brigade, Yuki Nagato, is actually in the class as well._

_ For the 'unstoppable #1 superwoman', Chao was another character who didn't have much screen time before suddenly turning into the villainess. I tried to have Sakura make her play a little earlier. Intelligent, calm, cheerful, and good at directing and handling people…she's surely a 'superwoman', and this class is full of them. Unlike Chao, she does not have any silly 'World Conquest' goal—hers are much more mysterious._

_ It's almost sad she has to be the villain here, with her mysterious and heretofore unrevealed goal, but it will work out well. Please, cherish my little Sakura, and don't hate her too much for her villainous tendencies…._


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer__: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors)._

Chapter Three: Festival, Re-Start-o!

The two rushed out into the main lane of the school. They stared at the gathering students and hordes of visitors, the blimps, the floats, and parades, the bands…everything was just as it had been that morning. The loudspeakers announced the hour of ten o'clock…and the start of the Mahora Festival.

Kain checked his watch. It was still convinced that the hour was 20:00 (Kain preferred a 24-hour clock). However, his cell phone, which set its time by satellite, agreed with the rest of the world around them rather than Kain's reality—the time was now 10 AM.

"H-how can this be happening?" Kain muttered. "Was this…time magic? But even bending time and space, you can't go backward in time…."

"That depends on the situation, I think," Kamo returned. "In any case, you two should better hide while we work this out. We don't want to run into anyone who might have seen you elsewhere…or, heaven forbid, yourselves."

They retreated to a café and secluded themselves in a corner bench. "So…did we…really travel back in time?" Momo asked, bewildered. "I agree that it should be impossible, but…how else do we explain what's happened?"

"It's not technically impossible," Kamo informed her. "It's _nearly_ impossible, depending on the strength of reality of the universe in question and several other factors you probably wouldn't understand. This world has a very powerful hold on reality…it treats time rigidly, one-way, which is why Kain is able to use magic to transport forward in time (and a mere few minutes), and even that only by a technicality, but the reverse is impossible regardless of the level of magic spell you try to use."

"Then what's the deal, Kamo?" Kain demanded. "How did it happen, if magic can't do it?"

"You still have Sakura-_chan_'s egg, right? Bring it out."

Surprised, Kain did so. The three inspected it, and Momo narrowed her eyes. "I feel…a faint _reiatsu_ emanating from it now…."

Kamo nodded. "Yep. The effect triggered when Kain grabbed the egg before. Somehow, this thing is the cause. It's a MagiTech device of some sort, I suspect, but as Momo-_chan_ said, it has some _reiatsu_…woven into it somehow. As far as I know, that's impossible. Soul Reapers…sorry, _shinigami_…can't normally use mana at all, nor cast any kind of mana-based spells. Momo-_chan_ can gain access to mana through the contract, but only as you give it to her, and as far as I know, she's the only _shinigami_ who has ever had access to it. Combining the two in one object…that alone is a feat almost as impressive as time travel itself.

"Sakura-_chan_ called herself an 'alien', 'time traveler', 'esper' and 'slider'. I think she was half-joking and half-serious. I think it's clear she isn't native to this plane of existence—like me, she must have come from some other reality. Either she has a tool like this that she uses to travel between planes, or she actually made this herself—and she has a power that allows her to traverse time and space freely."

Kain was sitting there, thinking. "I'm even having trouble thinking about this. You really believe that this is some sort of time machine…?"

Momo shook her head. "Perhaps, but…."

"K-Kain-_sensei…_?"

The two looked up in surprise to see Nodoka standing there. Dressed in the same black pseudo-witch dress she had been wearing that morning…now? She seemed confused. "I-I thought you were…at…."

"Oh, no, that doesn't matter, _Ojô-chan_!" Kamo said hurriedly. "We just stopped in here for a second, but we'll go back! You go first!"

"Eh…all right…."

Nodoka bowed to them, collected the drinks she came for, and headed out the door.

Kamo watched her go. "Follow her. Discreetly," he commanded.

"What? Why?"

"Just do it. You'll see before I could properly explain."

They did so, carefully watching her head through the crowds until she met up with….

"_Me_?" Kain gaped at the figure.

Kain, flanked by Yue and Ami, greeted Nodoka as she arrived with the drinks she'd fetched, and Nodoka privately marvelled at Kain's speed, but she didn't overly react…of course, she was well aware of Kain's magical abilities. Kain was the one most impressed. He watched as Yue repeated—or, rather, stated for the first time—the rundown of the Festival's cultural and economical significance.

Kain and Momo slipped off. Kain removed the egg again. "So…this is really…a _time machine_…."

"Suddenly believing?" Kamo smirked. "Of course, that was pretty convincing proof. Naturally, this could all be a huge illusion; although I know it isn't, you could be convinced of that, but…."

"He isn't listening," Momo informed him. "He's thinking about something else."

Indeed, Kain was lost in thought, clutching that egg in his hand. "I wonder," he murmured. "Could I use it to go meet my father…?"

"Okay, I understand, but halt that train of thoughts right now, kiddo," Kamo sighed. "Take it from me—time travel is _very_ dangerous. We don't know how this thing works, or what it's fully capable of…."

"That's right," Momo agreed. "Before anything else, we should go find Sakura-_chan_. She has some explaining to do…."

Kain pocketed the egg again. "Right," he said finally, sighing in turn. "You're right, of course. We'll ask her about it first. Right now, she's back at our class, cooking, so we can't go there…."

"That's right, and she's about to send us to the infirmary," Kamo noted. "Well, it's too dangerous to stalk the class waiting for her to leave. I guess we can kill time by seeing the festival until she's out…."

"You can track her, can't you Kamo? Like you did before to…at Kyoto?"

Momo looked confused, but Kamo agreed, "I think so. I haven't been in that close of contact with her, but I've been in the class for a while now, so I should have a grasp on her. Until then, you two should enjoy yourselves."

"Y-yeah…I guess so…" Momo quavered. "But…."

"Ah, I've never really had a chance to attend a school festival before," Kain exulted. "I didn't think I'd have time to with all the activities I had to do. Just for this, I could be grateful to Sakura-_san_."

Momo considered her teacher. She was wary of the recent revelations about her classmate, but seeing Kain's hopeful and expectant face calmed her a bit. Yes, it was true that there was no harm in enjoying a bit of the time that had been returned to them. "You're right, Kain-_sensei_. Let's enjoy the Festival a little…."

"Not yet," Kamo barked. They looked at him in surprise. "It's better if you disguise yourselves somehow while you're touring the festival. After all, you never know who you might run into…I have a feeling this time travel business will make things tricky."

He pointed to a costume shop. "A simple disguise should be all we need. Why don't you check that out?"

"I'm not sure about this outfit," Momo commented.

Both she and Kain were dressed in the 'traditional' outfit of Sherlock Holmes, complete with cloak (Kain reluctantly colored his own and used it), waistcoat and sleuth hat. Kamo smirked at Momo's remark. "Well, _Ojô-chan_, there are a few other outfits I thought would be great if you'd prefer." He pointed one out; the amazingly gauzy piece of fabric needs only the two words 'Arabian harem' to describe it. Momo blushed and muttered to herself.

"Now that that's settled…." Kamo turned to Kain. "Well, shall we get started? Where to first?"

Kain, who seemed to be quite happy with his outfit, considered the festival. "Well…let's start with…."

A holographic light-gun adventure ride.

A mini-theme park themed for dinosaurs.

A roller coaster.

And a few other places.

With nearly childlike vigor Kain swept through the festival. He moved with passion from place to place, his face a strange mask of interest but not giddy or overly emotional. Still, the enthusiasm he felt was almost palpable.

During a brief rest, Momo considered her 'teacher' once again. Yes, so unlike his father…Kalan was unquestionably bold. He never hid anything he did; he never suppressed anything he felt but wore his intentions on his sleeve. He never hesitated and never shirked from the situation; boldness was his calling card. He must have been feared by most of the Japanese when he visited that country, even as a child….

Kain, on the other hand, fit in Japan quite well—he had been conforming to his situation his entire life, fitting into his schools, classes, situations…he grew up being polite and respectful because he was a minor in an adult's world, and was very cognizant of that fact. Even now, his excitement over a chance to live like a real child for a few hours was buried under his forced exterior of calm.

"Having fun, Kiddo?" Kamo asked.

Kain looked to his shoulder and smiled a little embarrassedly. "Yes, I am…."

"Good. Well, hate to break up the fun, but I've got a bead on Sakura-_chan_. She's up on the zeppelin." Kamo pointed.

Kain looked up. "Ah…there? The academy blimp?"

"It stops for tours around the grounds every half-hour or so over by the university. If we hurry we should be able to catch it there."

"Ah! …Right. Let's go, Momo."

"Right, Kain-_sensei_…."

Even the blimp seemed fascinating to Kain.

He waited patiently for the zeppelin to lift off, and then paused to stare out one of the windows at the scene below. "Fascinating," he murmured.

"Don't you see this all the time when you fly around with magic?" Kamo teased him.

"It's not the same," Kain assured him. "Here, effortlessly…completely at peace…on another's power I can stand in the air and look out at the land below. It's…amazing…."

Kamo sighed. "I suppose so. Well, I'm glad you've taken the opportunity to relax for once, but…."

He stopped in surprise as Momo picked the ermine off of Kain's shoulder and placed him on her own. Kain turned in surprise. Momo smiled at him. "Don't worry about it, Kain-_sensei_. You can relax a little longer…I'd like to look around a little bit myself." Bowing, she departed.

"What's this about, Momo-_chan_?" Kamo asked when they were out of earshot.

"Can you find Sakura-_chan_ for me, Kamo-_kun_? I'd like to talk to her myself first, before Kain-_sensei_ meets her. Kain-_sensei_…is naïve and gullible, like how I used to be, as you well know. If Sakura-_chan_ or her device is a threat, I need to take care of it personally…."

"Not a bad idea, I suppose. I guess the kiddo can use a bit more of a breather before we get him into any more trouble…and if we can avoid it entirely, so much the better. Just keep on this way…it seems she's headed for us…."

Sakura smiled at she came around the corner and met them. She was dressed in a red Chinese robe with an embroidered gold dragon. "Good afternoon, Momo-_chan_. I see you've come to talk to me. How was your first experience with time traveling?"

Momo regarded her seriously, stopping just short of scowling. "You...really did plan that out? You drugged us and…."

"That's right…I apologize for doing so, but I knew that a demonstration of the item's power would be much more effective for showing you the merits of my little gift." She turned around and started away. "I assume you came alone because you wanted to talk away from Kain-_sensei_? Let's go over there, then."

They seated themselves in a booth near a window. Sakura cheerfully explained on the way that she had come to promote interest in the class' restaurant by preparing some food for the touring aeronauts. She had a taste for, and skill in cooking, Chinese cuisine, and had chosen that style to be her demonstration, hence her dress.

"In any case," she continued as they finally sat, "I assume you have some questions for me. Ask away, Momo-_chan_."

"Very well," Momo said. "Our little fiasco with you yesterday brought me to several realizations. Mostly I'm just asking for confirmation of my suspicions. First of all…alien, time traveler, whatever…what you really are is a _shinigami_, correct?"

Sakura smiled. "If I were very precise, I could say it's technically incorrect, but really, yes, I am a _shinigami_."

"Technically incorrect but really you are?" Kamo scoffed. "Do you ever give a straight answer? What kind of game are you playing, _Ojô-chan_? You mix words like some people I know…."

"A habit I picked up from my father. Like him, I have a…'special' attraction to the truth. I'll explain a bit more. My mother is a _shinigami_, through and through. My father is also a _shinigami_, but…a very special one. He is _more _than a _shinigami_, that is, he has powers greater than that within him.He was also human before becoming a _shinigami_, not a wholly unusual case, to be sure, but I mean he went directly from being a human to being a _shinigami_. He never experienced any of the normal events that occur for a human soul to become a _shinigami_—dying, being guided to the Soul Society, developing spiritual powers, etc. It's a long story."

Momo nodded. "Okay. In any case, _you_ truly are a _shinigami_, regardless of your parents' status, which explains your concealed _reiatsu_ and the _reiatsu_ in the egg you gave Kain-_sensei_. Far more importantly, however—you are the _shinigami_ responsible for shielding Kain-_sensei_'s battle with Alyssa-_chan_ from the eyes of the school, correct?"

Sakura looked at her askew, still smiling. "Oh? What makes you suspect that?"

"After the harrowing adventures we experienced in Kyoto—which I'm sure you're quite cognizant of—Kain almost forgot about it, but the very idea has been bothering me. Kamo-_kun_ tried to convince Kain-_sensei_ that I was a spy for the war hawks of Kyoto, and, as part of his trick, presented evidence that suggested that my powers were responsible for that clouding ability—since I couldn't be detected with normal mana, it could have been an ability I used. I only heard about their duel and the various subjects involved second-hand, after the fact, but I wondered about it; perhaps Kamo-_kun_'s bluff had some basis in truth. A _zanpaku-tô_'s power could conceivably perform such feats without triggering any sense of magic or another power a magic spirit like Kamo-_kun_ could identify…although I've never heard of a _zanpaku-tô_ having such a power.

"Of course, that's simply conjecture, and it would be jumping to conclusions to assume you're the guilty party simply because you're the first person I've encountered who fits the criteria. However, there's another event in Kyoto that's been bothering me all this time as well, one that is equally inexplicable. When Tokine-_chan_ and I took Kagome to Cinema Town, I left my _gigai_ to try and scout out our opponents privately, but somehow the entire class could see my _shinigami_ spirit body. There was no explanation for it…and, like the clouding event from Kain-_sensei_'s battle, there was no traceable power responsible for it. But you were there, at that time…and you alone had acquired a prop, an umbrella I don't recall seeing in the costume collection provided by Cinema Town. Urahara Kisuke disguised his _zanpaku-tô _as a cane…it wouldn't be inconceivable that such a sword could be disguised as another object….

"Right now, that's all I have to go on. However, considering what we've discussed of your nature…what this time traveling phenomenon has revealed about your power…it's certainly not a stretch for these things to be true."

Sakura applauded lightly. "Well done, Momo-_chan_. Yes, I am responsible for both those events. And?"

Momo scowled at her. "Why? Why did you do these things? What is your motivation, your intention?"

"Why? What is my intention? Well, why does that matter to you, Momo-_chan_? I helped you, didn't I? What else do you really need to know?"

"I need to know your intentions, Sakura-_chan_. I need to know what you intend for Kain. If your goal is to harm him in any way…I will not let you off easily." Momo's tone had become harsher, sterner, and rather obviously threatening.

Sakura giggled. "That's hardly a convincing threat coming from a cute little girl dressed up like that, dear Watson-_kun_."

"D-don't change the subject like that! I'm quite serious here!"

Sakura's smile subtly changed. "Goodness, how fierce, Momo-_chan_. What a threat! You would raise your hand against your classmate, without question…for Kain-_sensei_'s sake? While it's an admirable trait overall, it leads me to believe…you haven't really changed at all…."

Momo recoiled as if struck. "W-what? What do you…?"

"It was the same twenty years ago, wasn't it? For the sake of Aizen Sôsuke, you'd have lifted your hand against anyone…if his death letter had pegged Hitsugaya Tôshirô, your family in all but blood, as the guilty party, you'd have attacked him for Aizen's sake, no? What a careless girl…."

"N-no! H-how do you…?"

"I know a lot about you, Momo-_chan_. And I know that you're like an ivy vine. You can't live without clinging to something, to someone. At first, it was simply the dream of being a _shinigami_. Then, when the godlike Aizen saved you and your classmates from those Hollows, he became your goal, your hero, your life. You were his faithful slave for so many years…until Kalan revealed Aizen's shocking true nature, and with your idol crushed you were devastated. Then you tried to shift that worship to the amazing man who had saved you, whom you had tried to destroy…but he had no place in his heart for you, and you had no way to cling to him. You never accepted your new captain, nor yourself, and lived broken until Hirako Shinji-_san_ gave you something new to focus your heart on. And now Kalan's son has appeared…different, but every bit as wonderful as his father. Now he is the support you're clinging to…so tell me, are you any better now than you were when you were 'saved' by Kalan? You warn me not to think of harming Kain-_sensei_, but I can warn you the same: based on your past, can you promise me that _you_ will do nothing to harm him?"

Momo sat there, eyes downcast, trembling. Finally she said, "How can you…do you think you know everything? How can you speak like that to me?"

"Because I understand you…because I've seen it all before." Sakura brought her hands across the table and there was suddenly a tea cup and dish in front of her. She took a sip and then said, "Why do you suppose I chose you out of all the girls in the class to experience this with Kain-_sensei_? Because you are special to me, like he is. You may begin to hate me for the things I've said, but that's fine…because I hate you, too. In my case, it's the hatred that borders love. I hate you because I love you too." Momo finally lifted her head, staring at her in newfound shock.

"You're a wonderful person, Hinamori Momo," Sakura continued after taking another sip of her tea. "You're intelligent and gifted, gentle and kind and so thoughtful about others, and yet you're strong at heart, willing to go to great lengths to protect people and see justice be done. You hate fighting…yet if the need arises and you agree with it you will throw yourself into the battle. You're truly amazing, Momo-_chan_…I've admired you longer than you can know. And yet, despite all that, you give people power over yourself…and I can't help but hate you for it. No, I know that you won't harm Kain-_sensei_. But you're quite prone to harming yourself."

Sakura suddenly rose, swept over to Momo and embraced her. "I'm sorry for my harsh words. I'm sorry for tricking you and for causing you discomfort through my little earlier whims. I've just wanted to say this to you for a long time…I hope that you'll look at yourself more closely, because you're too great a person to cling to anything…not even someone as great as Kain-_sensei_."

Sakura withdrew and giggled again as Momo continued to stare at the whimsical girl in shock. "Goodness, but perhaps I shouldn't be qualified to give that advice. I'll tell you truthfully, Momo-_chan_, I can't harm Kain-_sensei_. He's like family to me, even if he doesn't recognize me as such. Everything I've done and everything that I'm doing is for his sake. I know you're suspicious of me and my motivations, but I assure you that I'm telling the truth…even if it isn't obvious at first what I'm doing. Letting him duel with Alyssa-_chan_ without any interference from the school got him started on his hero's path. By the same token, everything I'm doing now is for his benefit.

"Like that egg. It's a time travel device I made for him to help him deal with his myriad responsibilities at the festival. It should help him enjoy himself and yet be responsible, taking care of his many duties. If you don't have any more questions, perhaps it would be good to go find him and explain the device…."

"W-where are you really from?" Momo managed. "If you're a _shinigami_…if you know so much…you must be from the _Gotei _13, but…."

"Ah, no…not the _Gotei_ 13, not your Soul Society or Seireitei, not from those place affiliated with Earth," Sakura denied. "Where I was born, where I grew up, is a place far removed from those legendary places. I can't tell you any more than that…but I will say that I meant it when I said I was a time traveler, too. To me, your Seireitei is a legend of history."

"Yes…" Kamo mused. "An alien…you're directly saying you're from some other planet, whether or not you use a spaceship to come to earth. Time traveler, as you explained…any _shinigami_ could qualify as an esper, just as they could qualify as mages to most people with their version of magic. And, of course, the obvious and most accurate title of slider—you're from a completely different plane of existence, just like me. So, tell me, this father of yours…."

Sakura closed one eye in a prolonged wink, put her index finger to her lips and said, "Classified information."

Kain turned to them and smiled as the girls approached. "Ah, Momo…you've found Sakura-_san_. …Are you all right?"

"Eh? Ah, yes! I'm fine, I'm fine," Momo stammered. "Yes, I've brought her, Kain-_sensei_…."

"And here I am," Sakura continued cheerfully. "So, how did you enjoy your first experience with time travel?"

Kain hesitated. "_First_ experience, that sounds…."

"Yes, I intended for you to have several of them. I assume you still have my present?"

Kain removed it and showed it to her. She took it from his hands. "Here, let me demonstrate….

"This device is called a Chrono Trigger. It represents hope, and possibilities. As you've seen, it allows you to travel back in time…." She touched the center of it, and it suddenly opened, rising from about its middle and separating into two halves. Within the empty space between the two parts lights flickered into life, showing a translucent hologram of clock gears above equally-translucent digital meters and a kind of control panel. "The Chrono Trigger is a MagiTech device into which I've implanted my own _reiatsu_ and power. However, it consumes mana from the user to operate, as well as from the environment around it…a device like this will only be operable while the Mahora Tree is brimming with energy, or in other words, only during this festival. The mana it consumes from you isn't too great, but it gives it certain restrictions—you shouldn't use it continuously or try to go back too far into the past, or it will simply fail to work, or, worse, drain all the mana in your body. Twenty-four hours is about the limit of how far you can go back…and I don't see a reason why you would, but you shouldn't try to go back a cumulative twenty-four hours within a four-hour window. As long as you limit its use to that kind of time frame, there should be no danger to you."

"Ah…only twenty-four hours…." Kain sighed.

"Yes, that would make it impossible to go find your father or other such silly ideas," Kamo put in. "Pretty much, it's a tool restricted entirely to the Festival, which I suppose isn't a bad thing…."

"That's right…time travel is nasty, terrible business, and you shouldn't play around with it too much." Sakura showed Kain how to set the dials and operate it properly. "But since you're so overburdened with obligations during this Festival, Kain-_sensei_, I thought that this gift would help you enjoy the time at your pace." Sakura bowed.

Kain returned the bow. "Thank you, Sakura-_san_…I am very grateful that you thought enough of me to give me this gift. I will use it well and wisely."

Sakura bowed again. "I hate to be abrupt, but I have people to serve on the zeppelin here; and it is docking, so you may resume your busy activities. I hope to see you again soon, Kain-_sensei_…although it might not be for you." Smiling impishly, she turned and walked away.

Once she was out of sight, Kamo said, "Well, we can certainly make use of her gift, kiddo, but it doesn't excuse her. She's powerful and seems to intentionally get under the Magic Council's skin. If she were on the up-and-up she probably would have introduced herself to them immediately, even if she had to come up with a story for her identity."

"Yeah…I suppose you're right…."

Kamo appraised Kain. "Oh? I'd have thought you'd have been protesting her innocence the way you did Momo-_chan_'s before…."

"I'm not _completely_ naïve, Kamo. We didn't have any real evidence that Momo was an enemy before…all we had were your conjectures. Sakura-_san_ has been very kind, wise, and is quite generous with this gift…but I do acknowledge that she's causing trouble for the academy's mages." He examined the Chrono Trigger again. "Still, I am going to make use of this…."

As they headed for the exit, Momo whispered to Kamo, "Please, Kamo-_kun_…not a word to Kain-_sensei_ about what Sakura-_chan_ said to me…."

"Don't worry, _Ojô-chan_, my ermine lips are sealed. I've got more important things to worry about with her….."

"So, what is our plan now?" Momo demanded. "It seems we have a second chance at today…."

"Well, I have nothing major today until the meeting with Nodoka at 4 o'clock. I was planning on spending a few hours beforehand making some of my rounds with the class…."

"Hmm…may I see your schedule, Kain-_sensei_?"

Kamo, keeper of the schedule and Kain's real manager, produced the notebook and displayed it. They looked it over. Besides the date with Nodoka and the length of time allotted to general visits, there were notes for the Battle Tournament starting at 5:30 and a round of patrols by the World Tree at seven.

"Hmm…you only scheduled an hour and a half with Nodoka?" Momo asked almost dejectedly.

"Ah…I know that's little," Kain admitted. "But…."

"The schedule's so tight, we had little choice," Kamo explained. "But that was before. Now, borrowing the power of the Chrono Trigger, we have plenty of time. Let's forget about the club and class visits, about the tournament and the patrols—we'll leave those to our future selves…."

"Eh? Kamo-_kun_, you're planning…?"

"I'm not sure I fully trust Sakura-_chan_ or her device…but right now, I don't see any harm in putting it to use. So, let's focus on his date with Nodoka-_chan_."

"I-it's not a date, Kamo…it's just…."

"Sure, sure. Are you planning on going out like that?"

"Eh?" Kain considered his outfit. "Yeah, perhaps this isn't the best t…."

"Right. We'll pick out a new outfit and get you prepared for the date before four. We can ask Kagome-_chan_ for help, perhaps…in any case, you can just focus on enjoying the date…."

"I told you, it's not a date…!"

Nodoka stood in the school square. She was prepared physically for the date—her hair had once again been put up in a small ponytail, and she wore a frilly one-piece knee-length dress. However, from her composure it was obvious she was mentally unprepared.

"Y-Yue…Ami…are you there?" she asked her cell phone.

"We're here, Nodoka, we're here," Ami assured her from the other end. "However, we're probably going to disappear quite quickly today…."

"Eh? I'm going by myself?"

"Well, that is the definition of a date," Yue commented, taking the phone for a second. "We don't think we should follow you today."

"This is your moment, Nodoka," Ami said, taking the phone back. "It's a good opportunity for you, so don't waste it, okay? I'm sure you might even be able to give him a real kiss or something this time…."

"N-no way I could do that…!"

Yue took her turn again. "Well, just enjoy yourself and do your best, okay?"

"B-but, Yue, my heart is beating so fast, I feel like I'm going to faint, I-I can't…maybe we shouldn't meet…."

"Calm down and take a deep breath. You'll be fine, okay? No one's expecting anything from you—except yourself. Just have fun, right?"

"Y-yes…okay…I'll try…."

She shut the cell phone with a sigh. And, with impeccable timing….

"Nodoka! Did you wait long?"

"Oh, no, no, I ju...ju…just got here," Nodoka stammered, slipping the phone into her purse as she turned around to face her hero.

It was normal to see him in his suit and even that strange white cloak had been a scene the school had gotten used to, but apparently his handlers had convinced him to put it aside for this occasion. And, dressed in simple jeans, a t-shirt and a sleeveless vest, he seemed much more at ease than in his usual garb.

"That dress looks quite good on you, Nodoka. It's quite cute."

"Eh…i-is it…thank you…."

_('In any case, this time-traveling machine is great,')_ Kain thought. _('Date or not, it's good to have this much time to visit the Festival with Nodoka. Now we have all evening to enjoy the Festival….')_

Ami, watching from the bushes, giggled as they shyly exchanged compliments and other small talk. "They're both so shy…."

"They actually do look quite good together," Mai agreed. Yue started as she suddenly appeared right next to her. Kamo was sitting on her shoulder

"Hmm…I thought this hat would complement that outfit well," Kagome mused from next to Mai. "Kain-_sensei_ wouldn't have anything to do with hats, though. What do you think, Momo?"

"Well, he's not a little kid, so I guess the hat was a bit much."

"W-when did you three…?" Ami demanded, startled.

"Hey!" Kagome greeted her.

Just as Ami was settling down from the appearance of their fellow conspirators, however, new intruders suddenly threatened to make everything more interesting.

"Hmm…what an interesting event…."

"Kain-_sensei_ is on a date? What fun!"

"Oh, how suspicious!"

It was, naturally, the trio of Miki, Izumi and Riza.

"What are you three doing here?" Mai demanded crossly.

"We smelled something suspicious going on when Momo-_chan_ snuck out of the classroom with you two," Miki supplied. "Naturally, as Class 3-A's most dedicated busybodies, we can't pass up the opportunity to investigate this matter…."

"Don't go interfering with Nodoka's date!" Ami hissed.

"Ah, no, we don't want to _interfere_," Izumi assured her.

"Just to be clear, while it's lots of fun to play around with Kain-_sensei_, none of us actually have any _designs_ on him," Riza continued. "Actually, it seems like the most fun to help out with this little adventure."

"Right," Miki agreed. "But first we need information. Mai…."

"W-what? What is it?"

"Aren't _you_ bothered by this at all? Or why are you so interested?"

"W-what are you talking about?! Why should I…?"

"Well, you can act innocent all you like. What I'm really interested in is how much of a chance Honya has today. She's not the only girl after his heart, of course, so, tell us…whom does Kain-_sensei_ really like?"

"Why are you asking me!?"

"Because you're Kain-_sensei_'s bodyguard, and you're also at the very top of the suspicious list."

"I'm not his bodyguard and I don't know what you even mean by 'suspicious'…besides, Kain-_sensei_'s our teacher, so we shouldn't be concerned about…."

"Oh, Kain-_sensei_ and Honya-_chan_ are moving!" Riza remarked. "We better follow them!"

"Oh, we have to hurry and catch up!" Kagome agreed.

Mai, Momo, Kagome, Miki, Riza, and Izumi started shadowing the pair, and Ami followed after them. "Ami!" Yue called. "I thought we weren't going to follow…?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid of what _they_ will end up doing if we leave them alone…." She turned and hurried away.

Yue sighed. "Really," she muttered. "Everyone has such bad intentions. Of course, I'm worried too, especially about those three, but….

"Oh, well. I guess I'll spend the rest of the day walking around the Festival stalls alone."

She actually smiled slightly as she considered the situation. _('Do your best, Nodoka,')_ she thought.

And, lost in thought, she didn't see where she was going, and bumped heavily into someone.

"S-sorry, I wasn't watching where I was…." She stopped and froze as the face turned to her. "_What!? You_!?"

_Author's Note: Sakura Sanada, The Mahora Festival, Nodoka Miyazaki and Time Traveling._

_ And so the zany Mahora Festival has begun. Sakura has revealed herself, partially, to Kain and Momo._

_ Sakura is kind of like Kain's father Kalan in a lot of ways. She has a tendency towards self-righteousness, as shown in her conversation with Momo. She tends to be extremely thoughtful as well, overthinking things; however, she has little patience for the kind of stupid mistakes that Momo made in her past. Sakura is not above using cruelty in order to bring about kindness. It's this kind of thing that allows her to take the part of a villain…but obviously it'll still be a while before she reaches that point._

_ The Mahora Festival starts with yet another chronological boo-boo, one that I caught a bit late but don't need to worry about adjusting. Negi's class went with a Haunted House, and subjected the poor ten-year-old to so much trauma during his trip through that Setsuna volunteered to take him to the nurse's office to rest. It is never defined how Chao drugged their tea at the nurse's office, or how she knew to do so…I had before planned this out with Sakura's set-up covering the angles better. However, on the trip over, they discuss Negi's plans and he says he doesn't have anything until the rendezvous with Nodoka at four. However, after the reset, his book shows a multitude of meetings with girls—the 'club visits'—in the few hours before the date. I covered this little slip-up by declaring that Kain's plans were not set in stone here, but were simply some ideas he had about how to spend the early afternoon beforehand…._

_ I should note parenthetically that this was another stroke of luck in my adaptation of the series. Setsuna, as I had noted earlier, is the girl whose overall place Momo has occupied. And as I noted last paragraph, Setsuna volunteered of her own accord to accompany Negi to the nurse's office. Momo, on the other hand, is chosen for this spot because…of Sakura's whims. Perhaps we'll find out more on why later, but it works out perfectly for the scenario, although in certain circumstances I'm not shy about exchanging characters where appropriate._

_ For example, with Nodoka's date. Well, first of all, one of the running gags with Nodoka is that her cute shy innocence conceals…what, shall we call it a perverted streak for PC purposes? If Nodoka is left alone to think upon her beloved—like when she's standing around waiting for her date to show—she brings out her book for comfort and reads the diary of her thoughts, which invariably begin to show _ecchi_ ideas (usually inspired by the amoral Haruna's suggestions). These 'comedy' scenes are being thrown out with most of the useless perversions, and in any case there isn't as much call for them because the primary instigator (Haruna Saotome) is absent._

_ Which brings us to the current situation. The idea of an interfering group shadowing them and pressuring Nodoka in the upcoming date is amusing, but Yue absolutely refuses to interfere at this point, and Ami isn't someone to interfere, either. Mai, Kagome and Momo are here, and while Momo and Kagome might be willing to help encourage Nodoka (and would likely like to spy on the encounter for several reasons), they wouldn't pressure her as necessary to (lightly) electrify the date. So, in swoop the Baka Trio, who love to be engaged in these games with Kain but are not actually interested in Kain themselves (notice that they all refused to join in the Kiss Kiss Carnival as well….) We'll see more of what they're up to next chapter._

_ And so the time-traveling begins. Kamo, a veteran of these kinds of circumstances, already has plans to use the Chrono Trigger heavily and has even forwarded some of the day's problems and duties to future Kains and friends. Like Kain's magic secret, several members of his class will slowly be brought into his secret as he repeats the next few days over and over…._

_ So, let's get on with it! The excitement of the Festival continues…._


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer__: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors)._

Chapter Four: Dates, Festivals, and True Feelings

"Oh, this is the book you loaned me a while back."

"Ah…yes…did you find it interesting?"

"Yes, I did. Of course, the use of magic in the story was flawed, but it's only to be expected. The story was quite good, and the ending almost made me cry…."

"Yes…I thought you would like it, because the protagonist is about our age."

Nodoka turned to another shelf and gave a little cry of delight. "Oh, this book! I've been looking for this one for a long time…."

"Really? That's great!"

Their hidden observers watched the scene with all sorts of mixed feelings.

An astute and thoughtful reader might wonder at this point if they could really keep themselves concealed from a mage as skilled as Kain. Therefore, let the narrator parenthetically point out that a) they had a powerful (if apparently somewhat lazy) magic spirit, Kamo, with them, who could silently shield their presence, and b) Kain is not in the most alert mental state at the moment. He is, after all, in the midst of a non-date ("We swear it isn't!") with a girl his age, his student, one who he can't help but find attractive (although every propriety insists he shouldn't) and one who has already confessed her feelings to him. A harmless subject like books gives him something else to lose his thoughts in, but it isn't going to help him realize he is being spied upon.

And so those spies considered the situation from their safe hiding place nearby.

"They're talking and getting along quite nicely," Kagome noted.

"But they've been in that book store for over an hour and a half," Mai sighed. "I swear, I'll never understand what those book lovers are thinking…."

"Does she normally chat about books all the time?" Momo asked Ami.

"Oh yes…she and Yue can both go on about their favorite subjects. I…I guess I can, too, really…and there are few things Nodoka loves more than books."

"No, this is no good," Miki declared. "This is too weak. We won't get any excitement like this…."

"Oh, a book about…an assistant pig-keeper? This book sounds familiar…."

"That's a good book, too. I recommend it, _Sensei_."

Nodoka gazed at Kain contentedly as he perused the volume. _('Kain-_sensei_…his lips look so soft…I wonder what it would be like to _really _kiss him….')_

Nodoka realized where her thoughts had gone and tried to shake them. _('No, no! Just because of that, I think about that on occasion…and now, just because Ami mentioned kissing him….')_

"Is something wrong, Nodoka?" Kain asked, showing his usual combination of attentiveness and cluelessness.

"No, nothing…are there any other good books?"

She glanced around for one in desperation and recoiled anew at the sight of two kissing lovers on its face.

Kain noticed her looking at it, although he could not see the shame on her face. "What's that book?" he asked politely.

Nodoka didn't bother to try and find out, but shoved it away. "N-nothing! No good!"

_('I-I can't go thinking about kissing…that sort of stuff….')_

But, lo and behold, there was another slim volume by her hand, open, giving instruction on the art of the French kiss, or, as it was called in Japan, the 'Deep Kiss'.

"What are you doing?" Mai demanded crossly as Miki and Riza found another book to subtly place near them.

"Hmm?" Miki asked. "Oh, just trying to steer them towards some adult activities…."

"There's no need for that!" Momo scolded.

Meanwhile, Nodoka's reaction to this outlandish interference was alarming Kain, and as he moved to try and calm her down her thrashing caused them both to fall…somewhat fortunately, their fall did not result in Comedic Anime Position #1, 'Boy Falls on Girl and Fondles Her', but Anime Position #2, 'Player 1 Lying on Back, Straddled by Player 2'. True, Position #2 is also embarrassing and problematic, but not so much….

Miki perked up at this. "Oh, nice! This is a good development! Maybe we'll see something interesting…."

"Hey now…" Mai muttered.

Likely Kain and Nodoka didn't think of their position as 'fortunate', for any reason, but, naturally, they lay there, unable to act except to half-heartedly weakly apologize as their hearts used up all their energy for them.

And, of course, they couldn't consider themselves lucky when a stern voice demanded, "What are you doing, Kain-_sensei_?"

Tear Grants and Rin Tôsaka, flanked by Mei Sakura, were now standing over the pair. Mei and Rin were dressed in their school uniforms, but Tear was dressed in a strange outfit, or at least one that would have been strange outside of the Festival—a sleeveless brown dress adorned with a distinct golden pattern, with a high collar and three parts to the dress below the waist. Her legs were covered in red socks that disappeared beneath the tri-fold, and her tall brown boots were capped at the bottom of her feet by a white border and high-heels. Like before, she carried a bladed staff (not quite a spear) in her hand.

"N-no, that's not…this is…we just tripped!" Kain declared as the two stumbled to their feet.

"While everyone else is on the look out, you're dating a female student?" Rin shot out venomously. "Do you think you're special or something?"

"The maximum effect of the tree isn't active until the last day, but it's certainly powerful enough right now," Tear continued. "Aren't you a bit careless to be doing this?"

"No, we weren't dating or anything!" Kain protested.

"Well, it doesn't matter," Rin said. "This is a dangerous area, so it's best to stay away from it."

Mei had been holding some kind of device, and it began making low warning noises. "Oh…" she said, and waved it near Nodoka. "This girl's readings are at a dangerous level. She's in a state where she could make a wish to the World Tree at any moment."

Nodoka, confused and frightened by all of this, put her hands up in front of her face defensively. Kain stepped in front of her to shield her as well. "Whatever you're saying, it's rude to Nodoka…stop this!"

"_Sensei_, it's dangerous," Tear insisted. "You should step away from her immediately."

"Who are these people?" Miki demanded. It seemed as if things were getting more interesting, but it had also become confusing and, ignorant as she was, she didn't appreciate the direction things seemed to be going. Breaking up her potential entertainment did not sit well with her….

"This isn't good," Momo muttered.

Rin was apparently in a more aware state than Kain was, and looked sharply that direction. "Someone's watching us…spying on us? Is it her again?" She carefully moved and leapt into the group, surprising them all.

As Tear and Mei turned to look at the group, distracted, Kain acted quickly. "Well, we've worn out our welcome," he muttered. "_Ja ne_."

He grabbed Nodoka and gestured; instantly the two of them vanished. By the time the assembled interested party had recovered from all the shock, yelling, and confusion, the two were long gone.

The pair materialized on a roof near one of the outermost buildings of the campus. Kain did not spend a lot of time on the roofs of any of the buildings, and so he instinctively went to one he could think about…the one, in fact, where he had first confronted Alyssa several months before.

He held Nodoka carefully as she staggered from the vertigo of one inexperienced with teleportation magic, and slowly released her as she got her coordination back. "Are you all right now, Nodoka?" he asked kindly.

"Ah, y-yes…thank you, Kain-_sensei_…er…."

"'What was that about?', right?" Kain smiled wryly. "Well, it's a bit of a story. I guess there's no harm in telling you. You're aware of the romantic legend of the World Tree, right? How the Mahora Tree grants wishes, and at this time of the year, especially during the culmination of the 22-year cycle when it glows during all three days, it can realize love between couples?"

Nodoka nodded hesitantly. She could never admit it out loud to Kain, but she and her friends had been paying attention to those rumors and wondering if they could be true, and it was part of what had prompted Ami to be so bold as to encourage Nodoka to act so bold. In some ways, encouraging Nodoka was like an outlet for Ami's own suppressed romantic feelings, much as it was for Kagome and even perhaps Momo….

"The principal shocked us by saying that the rumors are true…but that isn't correct. It can't actually grant true love, but during this time, because of its magic, it can react to feelings, and force a kind of temporary infatuation on the 'victims' of confessions…at least, at certain points near the Mahora Tree, it can do so. Of course, children like us can be capricious, fickle, and careless with our feelings, so when students confess to each other within the Tree's powerful influence, they think that their desires for true love have been granted when the other party responds favorably due to the magic. That's all anyone will hear about, because it makes a better story; no one hears how they break up a day later, even a week later, how things end up not working out, on problems that might arise from moments of passions. The principal gathered us up yesterday and warned us about this predicament, and asked us to help keep these kinds of 'problems' from arising by preventing those kinds of confessions and displays of affection at the dangerous spots around the tree. That's what I'm supposed to be doing right now."

"Eh!? Y-you mean, you're supposed to be out there, helping the school, and yet I've got you here with me…I-I'm sorry, we should…."

"No, don't worry about it," Kain consoled her. "I lost track of time, but it'll be all right. I'm sure I'll find a way to talk myself out of trouble. Rather, I should be apologizing to you, Nodoka. I'm sorry for troubling you." He bowed deeply to her.

"Oh, n-no, it's not…."

Kain forestalled her with an uplifted hand. "Not for this, so much; I'm sorry, but I should never have agreed to go out with you like this. I should have known better to begin with. You've…already told me your feelings, Nodoka, and so I know why you wanted to come out with me, what you were asking for. It's only natural to want to…be with the one you care about. But I can't return those feelings to you right now…not only as a teacher, but also just as a young man, myself. I don't know my own heart all that well, yet, and I'm honestly not sure which girl, if any, is as important to me as you say I am to you. And yet, despite that, I agreed to go on this…this 'date' with you. It could just be considered the foolish kindness of a naïve young man, but the truth is, I think I knew what I was signing up for, and...I was actually looking forward to your company. I told myself that it would make you happy, and I could enjoy your company as well, and it would be fine, but it was rude of me to go out with you with half-hearted feelings. I am embarrassed, pleased, and flattered by what you said to me before, Nodoka, but sometimes I wonder if I'm really worthy of those feelings. Especially now."

Nodoka recovered from this monologue with amazing swiftness and shook her head. "No, Kain-_sensei_…y-you are, I'm sure of it. Only someone…really good and decent would think of those things. M-maybe I was selfish, too, asking you out like this…no…I know I was."

Kain opened his mouth to object, but this time Nodoka silenced him. "If you…if you think you were rude to me, Kain-_sensei_, then, as an apology, please listen…to my heartfelt confession, to…to my true feelings. Er…." She hesitated, and looked up, her one visible eye poking through her bangs shining with concern. "This place…is all right, isn't it?"

Kain stared at her and then smiled again. "Yes, Nodoka…this is far enough from the tree that telling me your feelings won't turn me into a monstrous kissing machine or anything. Go ahead."

"Well…y-you see…I know that you're kind and considerate. You love all of us…even the ones who cause trouble in class…you're…always thinking about other people. You have…you've had such a hard life, you have so many important things you want to do, you have some incredible wish that's driven you since you were small, and yet you can still take the time to think about us, to teach us, to stand up for us and protect us…all we can really do is gaze at your back and follow you. That's why I…no, all of us…why we love you. Me, and Yue, and Ami, and Mai-_san_, and Momo-_san_, and Kagome-_chan_, and Kazumi-_san_, and Sendô-_san_ and Hinagiku-_san_, and Heiro-_san_ and Tsukimori -_san_. Maybe not the same way, and maybe some of them won't…won't admit it to themselves, but we all love you for who you are."

Nodoka finally fell silent, her steam all used up, and she hid her face in shame and embarrassment over her rant, and Kain stared at her. He opened his mouth to search out a reply, but suddenly the 'town' of Mahora lit up, and streams of pyrotechnics fountained into the sky from select locations around the campus. The loudspeaker declared, "Mahora's famous display, 'The Light-, Water-, and Fire-Magic Circle—Mahora Imagination' starts now!"

Kain and Nodoka, from their lofty perch, had one of the best views as the fireworks lit the night sky. Even more impressive, a stream of fire began to illustrate pictures across Mahora Lake. "So beautiful," Kain breathed. "And so amazing…how do they draw across the water like that…without magic?"

Nodoka turned her attention from the lights to Kain again. "Kain-_sensei_," she asked, "do you…really not have anyone that you like right now? I mean, that you like more than anyone? Like, Kazumi-_san_, or Mai-_san_?"

"E-eh? N-no…I can't say I feel like that about anyone…."

"N-no, I'm sorry for asking out of the blue like that…but you can imagine why I wonder…."

She took a deep breath and continued, "I really am slow and I'm a klutz, and I can't do anything properly…but ever since you've arrived, I've felt I've had the strength to do all kinds of things. It's all thanks to you. When I see you…trying so hard to do everything…protecting everyone, searching for your father, caring for us…it just fills me with courage. And that conviction and strength that you have…is what I really love about you!"

As Kain stared in shock again, Nodoka put a hand to her lips and giggled in embarrassment. "Ah, I said it again. I'm sorry for troubling you so, _Sensei_. This place…is safe, right?"

"Eh? Safe? Yes…I guess so…."

Nodoka leaned in and gently kissed Kain, full on the lips…and we must note that, according to Cinematic Drama Laws, a fresh round of fireworks burst in the sky in perfect timing with the action.

Nodoka held the kiss for a surprisingly bold length of time (for her) before withdrawing. She smiled as Kain continued staring in shock. She grasped his hands. "Kain-_sensei_, today made me really happy. Thank you for everything!"

"Eh…that…."

Nodoka withdrew and began to hurry away. She stopped and turned back to call out, "Then, that…that will be the apology from _Sensei_! Please forget about it!" And, before Kain could properly recover, she was gone.

Her embarrassment finally caught up with her as she hurried away, and she smiled wryly to herself as the emotions warred within her. _('At that moment, I felt so close to Sensei, yet…I felt like I was still so far from his world….')_

Kain stared numbly over at the fireworks. A call woke him from his reverie. "Kain-_sensei_!"

Mai, Momo and Kagome, with Kamo on Mai's shoulder, lit upon the roof and approached him. "So, where's Nodoka-_san_…? Did you conclude your date?"

"Ah…yes…it's over…and I guess you could say it was a success…."

Kain couldn't conceal his blush, and Kamo leered at him. "Oh…? Did little Nodoka-_chan_ do something to shake you up…?"

Momo wrapped the ermine lightly to silence him. "Shush. I don't think we should pry into that."

"Tch. Fine. Okay, then, shall we get ready for the next go-round?"

Kain looked at him and nodded, recovering control of his emotions. "Yeah. First off, I think I'm going to help out with the school's 'patrols'. I feel I narrowly avoided a catastrophe, and feel like helping to prevent others will be a good bit of karma."

Mai looked between the two, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"K-Kain-_sensei_," Momo stammered, "are you sure you should be talking about…?"

"It's all right," Kain said. "Mai will get mad at me if I keep too many more secrets from her, and I feel I can trust you three more than anyone else here." He snapped his fingers and returned to his suit, then held out a hand. "May I have my cloak back?"

Kagome, who had taken charge of it, returned it to him, and, after sweeping it around his shoulders, he removed the egg….

"Time machine!?" Mai gasped after the whole situation had been explained to her. "You can't be serious!"

"It's true…we've experienced it firsthand," Momo confirmed. "By all the rules of magic it should be impossible, but it works. Sakura-_chan_ has some pretty incredible powers if she can make this work…."

Kagome stared at it. "For some reason, I have an odd feeling that I should take a trip about five hundred years into the feudal era…" she muttered.

"As appropriate as that would be, _Ojô_-_chan_, it wouldn't work," Kamo declared. "The egg only goes back twenty-four hours."

"Eh? Is that so…oh well."

Mai considered it. "I can't even think of a time I'd like to travel back to…."

"Well, history always was your worst subject," Momo commented.

"L-lay off!"

"Is there a time you'd like to go back to if you could, Momo?" Kagome asked.

Momo fell silent as her mind churned. Probably nothing would have occurred to her before her conversation with Sakura earlier that day, but now she remembered vividly across twenty years the pain…the shock…the despair…the horror…everything she had experienced, all that she had hated…especially herself….

"Momo? Are you all right?"

She shook her head. "No, there is nowhere I need to go back to. The past is there for us to learn from, not to change." She recovered herself and began to acknowledge the task at hand. "Well, in this case, we can forgive Kain-_sensei_ for cheating a little, because he's not actually trying to change anything, just deal with a needy class." She turned to Kain and smiled sweetly. "Well, shall we go?"

Kain nodded. "So, you all want to try it out with us this time?" He opened the egg and set everything as Sakura had instructed him.

"Yes!"

"Gather around." As the girls closed in, he activated it. "Let's get this flux capacitor going!"

Those of an artistic bent can imagine the swirl of chronolized magic around them, encapsulating them, before they vanished, for all intents and purposes, from existence.

"Thanks for helping me out, _Senpai_," the nondescript unimportant Boy A said to the beautiful but unimportant Girl B as the walked across the grounds.

"It's not a problem," the girl replied casually, sweeping her long hair back. "We are in the same club, after all, even if we're in different schools. It's normal to help each other out."

She waved as she started away. "See you around."

The boy stared at her retreating back. _('It's now or never_, he thought. _I must tell her….')_

"_S-Sen_...!"

"Kyoka-_san_!"

The boy started as another young man from his class grabbed his shoulder. He was fairly nondescript himself…average height, average messy brown hair, dark eyes, dressed in the somber burgundy middle school boy's uniform. "We need a few extra supplies for our class' activity…can you go and fetch some more ink from our storage closet and take it there? I know I can count on you…."

"O-oh, right…of course, Tsukai-_san_…."

His classmate hurried off at his instruction, and Kajirô Tsukai sighed. "That's seven," he muttered to himself. "It's only afternoon of the first day. Really, this is such a bother…and I know why it's important, but I can't help feeling terrible at disrupting the efforts of those kids who have so much more courage than I do…."

He turned and gazed up at the sky…and froze as he saw the nimbus herald the sudden arrival of four figures on the roof some distance to his left. He narrowed his eyes. "That's odd," he muttered. "Those are…?"

For those keeping track, this is now Kain's 3rd trip through the first day of the Festival. It is 1:30 PM now, as Kain and his party appear on the roof where they just were a second ago…and yet weren't.

"Oh, it's actually daytime!" Kagome cried in delight. "Amazing! That thing really works…."

"It's incredible," Mai agreed. "Did we really go back to…what, early afternoon?"

"Yes, no problems!" Kain exulted.

"Next time, we should probably go somewhere more private," Momo noted. "Still, this wasn't too bad a place. We should be fine."

They had also explained the secret of the Mahora Tree to the pair (Mai and Kagome), and those two had agreed to help with the 'Operation: Confession Spoiling' rounds. Now the four discussed how to divide up their patrols. Kagome and Mai prepared to head out patrolling with Momo.

"Will you really be okay by yourself?" Mai asked, concerned.

"No problem," Kain, now carrying Kamo on his shoulder again, confirmed. "I'm meeting up with Kenjirô-_kun_ later. Before I knew about the time machine, I asked him to help me with some of my duties."

"He mocks Kain a lot for his girlfriends, but he's a good kid," Kamo agreed.

"You really shouldn't be saying things like that," Mai growled, but she brightened and started away. "Well, I'll leave it to you, then. Best of luck."

Kain waved at the three girls as they headed off. Then he sighed and shook himself.

"Are you okay, Kiddo?" Kamo asked. "You keep sighing like that…Momo-_chan_ told me not to pry, but…."

"N-no, I'm fine." Kain shook himself. "I wasn't at my best with Nodoka before…but I need to fulfill my responsibility as a teacher now."

"Well, as long as you've got your head on straight…."

"Hmm…does the famous Kain-_sensei_ have problems with girls?"

Kain started and turned. "Eh?"

The boy bowed. "Sorry to disturb you. I present myself. Tsukai Kajirô, third year middle school student. My regards; like you, I am a mage."

"A-ah…yes, Tsukai-_san_…I saw you at the Mahora Tree…er, yesterday…."

"That's right. So, if you don't mind my asking…what is your business right now…?"

"Patrolling around the World Tree as well?" Kajirô nodded. "That's good. It's a busy time, and we need all the help we can get."

A beeping sound rose from his pocket, and he took out a strange device that Kain recognized—it was just like the one Mei had had in the book store. "Blast, another one," he muttered. He ran to the edge of the roof and hopped down. Surprised, Kain followed him.

He raced around the side of a building, slid to a stop as he came in view of a lane leading up to the world tree, and there, in obvious 'confession mode' was a young man addressing a young woman. Kain slid up next to him as he extended his hand and a burst of wind rippled out, blowing the hat off of the girl's head. The pair chased it down and recovered. Kajirô watched them for a moment, then finally nodded and sighed. "That should carry them out of the tree's range, at least," he muttered. "It's nice when I can do that, at least." He showed the device to Kain. "Have you received one of these yet, Kain-_sensei_?"

"Ah? No, I haven't…."

He offered it to him, but Kamo waved him off. He stared at the rodent in surprise as Kamo said, "Kain doesn't need it. He's got me to help him out."

Kajirô finally recovered. "Oh, is this your familiar…?"

"Ah, not quite," Kamo snickered. "Familiars aren't half as cool as me. Magic spirit Kamolai at your service, Kid. So, just trying to break up confessions in the danger zone, huh?"

Kajirô shrugged. "That's the job. It's a pain, but as a member of one of the twelve ruling families, I'll catch hell if I shirk this responsibility. No matter how stupid it is."

Kain considered this. "Some of them…seem determined to completely break up the confessions by any means necessary…but you let those two have their confession, as long as it was out of the danger zone…?"

Kajirô looked at Kain, surprised, and then nodded. "I guess you've seen Tôsaka-_senpai _and the rest at work today. Yes, the general idea is to, what, avoid any chance of trouble? The motivation of the adults and the more 'serious' students like them is that teens are driven by hormones, not emotions; that's probably true, so it's no wonder this tree that can't tell the difference could be causing us problems. Still…I don't think we have any right to try and judge the difference. I feel sorry for the rest of these kids. They gather up so much courage to try and express their feelings to those they care about. For their own safety, we have to interfere, but I don't like it. If there's any way to protect them without making them sacrifice all that courage, I'll do it."

Kamo snickered anew. "Awfully romantic sentiment for a fourteen-year-old brat, especially a boy. Lemme guess…you have a girl you like, but don't have the courage to confess to…?"

The boy froze. Redness was creeping up his face. "Maybe," he replied curtly. "So what?"

"So what? Good question. You're no fun. I was hoping for a red-faced denial like most kids give me…."

"Kamo…" Kain muttered.

"In any case, why don't we hang with you for a bit?" Kamo offered pleasantly. "Kain, of course, is a genius, a magical university graduate who knows all kind of spells. He can probably give you a lesson or two on how to 'protect them without making them sacrifice all that courage'…."

Kajirô blinked at the rodent, then looked at Kain, who smiled and nodded. "Yes, I wouldn't mind. I think I agree with you, Tsukai-_san_…we should work together to help our peers as best we can."

"Really…thank you, Kain-_sensei_." He bowed to his fellow. "Please, call me Kaji. I'm not one for the family name…."

"Sure, Kaji-_kun_. Let's get started."

They carefully wandered about the academy, interfering with the confessions. Kajirô seemed most adept with wind magic, but Kain demonstrated several other ways to lure couples who did not possess convenient items for blowing away outside the area. He used subtle suggestion magic and mental barriers to discreetly direct them out of the danger zone, or materialized phantoms of hurrying crowds that forced them to move. Sometimes, of course, those who had tried to summon their courage couldn't regain it after an interference, and Kain had to resist the urge to use magic to instill the courage…that would have been as bad as the tree itself, after all.

"Still, it's most impressive," Kaji noted. "Your control of magic is superb, and you have a great tactical mind. I'd say you're doing the work of three mages all by yourself. It really makes a failure like me feel his inadequacies."

"Eh? Failure?" Kain looked at his new friend quizzically.

"Sorry, you probably have no idea what I mean. I'm a member of the Tsukai family…one of the twelve most powerful families in Japan, one of the twelve mage families that govern this school…I'm supposed to be a leader among leaders, a true elite…someone like my older brother, Kobirô. He was a real genius. Not as much as you, but he graduated from Mahora's university at the age of fifteen and joined the 'Scarlet Crusade', the same group Takahata-_sensei_ is part of. He was a great heir to our family name. Then…ten years ago…he was killed in action. Now, I'm the heir, but I've never had a lot of magical talent, not compared to him. Still, the family expects so much from me…but I can just never measure up. As you've seen, I don't have much more than my wind magic. I have some talents, but…not in anything useful, not in anything necessary to lead a magical house…."

"That's not true, Kaji-_kun_," Kain objected. "You can't disparage your own abilities like that. You do have talents, you do have ability…just because you can't measure up to your incredible older brother doesn't mean you don't have merits all your own. Everyone says I'm a genius because I graduated from Caelar University at the age of fourteen…and yet my father did it at the age of ten. I could never compare to him. He'd defeated the most terrible villains in the magical world and saved it from destruction by the time he was my age, and yet I can't even protect my class from the people attacking me without a lot of help. But I haven't let that drag me down. I know that, whatever I do, it will have value, as long as I try and do my best. You can do the same, Kaji-_kun_. Just believe in yourself."

Kaji stared at Kain, then smiled slightly as he looked down. "Goodness, what a speaker," he murmured. "Hinagiku-_san_, Sendô-_fukukaichô_, Kenjirô-_san_…it's no wonder they all think so highly of you. It's no wonder you're already such a respected teacher. Well, I thank you for your kind words, Kain-_sensei_…I'll try to keep them in mind…."

Kajirô's meter began to alarm again, and he examined it. "Ah, blast, there's another one…let's go…."

The pair hurried out and arrived at the edge of the main square, and even Kain was brought up short by the scene this time. "Hinagiku-_san_…?"

"Thank you for your assistance, Azumamiya-_kun_." Hinagiku sounded exasperated even as she thanked the brown-haired boy their age. "However, I think you've done enough for today. As helpful as you want to be, make sure you have the strength before attempting to carry that many of the mats for the club. After all, you're the weakest member of the _Kendô_ Club…you shouldn't do things that are beyond your ability."

The young 'Azumamiya'recoiled in pain from the blow Hinagiku had unintentionally dealt to him, but he covered it swiftly and laughed in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry for inconveniencing you, Katsura-_san_…it's just…well, you know, there's a reason why I want to help you so much…." He trailed off, growing quieter until his words ran out.

"Eh? What did you say? I didn't catch that."

"K-Katsura-_san_! The truth is, the reason I'm helping is…the reason I joined the _Kendô_ Club is…."

The was a short and swift but fierce gust of wind that passed just over and behind the boy, and a second later a branch fell out of the tree above him and landed on his head. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Eh!? Azumamiya-_kun_!? Quick, call the nurse's office, help me get him there—!"

Kain stared at Kajirô as Hinagiku took charge of the situation, barking orders and getting the stricken boy away. Kaji now held a very long _katana_, which he pantomimed putting into an imaginary sheath, and it disappeared when he completed the motion. "Kaji-_kun_…that was a little dangerous, wasn't it?"

"Azumamiya-_san_ is a comedy character, so he can't actually get seriously injured no matter how much damage he takes. Besides, that's nothing compared to the abuse his butler heaps on him. Crisis averted—let's go." He started swiftly away.

"Hoho…I see," Kamo leered. "So your crush is Hina-_chan_, then…?"

"Did anyone ever tell your pet that he's annoying?" Kaji asked Kain.

"Don't change the subject!" Kamo insisted. "Yet another Hina-_chan_ fan, eh…?"

"Yes, fine," Kaji sighed. "So? You see my dilemma. Doing this work, and I don't even have the same courage as someone as pathetic as Azumamiya-_san_. Or maybe I'm just that much more realistic…."

"Ah…so, you really like Hina?" Kain considered this. "I guess I'm not surprised…she does seem to be pretty popular, and it's good to know it's not just with the girls…."

"So, why don't you give it a shot?" Kamo insisted. "If that brat could do it, why not you? It doesn't have to be during this Festival, of course, but you're obviously intelligent, mature, and reasonable…there's no reason you couldn't tell her…."

Kaji shook his head. "Hinagiku-_san_ and I…are friends. We've known each other a long time, since before she was a Katsura. We're childhood friends. And, when you know someone that well, and you really care about them…you know who their special someone is, you can tell who has the largest place in their heart. It's not me. She cares for me, but only as a friend. She couldn't handle my feelings if I gave them to her. They would only be a burden to her."

He glanced back toward the square. "All I can do is admire her from afar. That's all I need. Perhaps, in the future…but for now, I don't want to interfere with what I have."

"I see," Kain murmured. "Well, if that's how you feel, I…."

"Hey, Kain-_kun_! And…Kaji-_kun_…?"

The two turned as Kenjirô came pelting over at them. "So, you two have met now?" he asked after properly greeting them.

"You know Kenjirô-_kun_?" Kain asked his new acquaintance.

Kaji nodded. "He's my roommate now, and in my class. Probably the school wants me, as a member of the twelve families, to 'keep an eye on him'. Not that I could do anything if he decided to take up his old ways…."

"Ah, don't even worry about that, Kaji-_kun_," Kenjirô muttered. "I don't really have any 'old ways' anyway. So, you guys have been making the rounds? I thought you were busy, Kain-_kun_."

"No, I've taken care of it," Kain assured him.

Kajirô bowed to them. "Thank you for your assistance, Kain-_sensei_, and your words of advice. I hope we can keep each others' secrets here. Oh, but I have advice of my own…if you think too much about _your_ trouble with girls, it might get in the way of your duty, so be careful." With that, he headed off.

"I don't have any trouble with girls!" Kain blurted, reddening, but Kaji paid him no heed.

Kenjirô fixed a stern stare at Kain. "What was that about girls, Kain?"

"Nothing!" And yet the romantic talk reminded Kain about his 'trouble'. He couldn't help remembering his most recent kiss…and how nice it had felt…and that reminded him that, even if it was for the contract, he'd already experienced several kisses….

"Hey, Kain? Kain-_kun_? Stop spacing out about that! Get with it! We only have a little bit until the tournament starts, you know!"

"Hey, Kenjirô-_kun_…do you have anyone you like?" he asked.

Kenjirô blinked. "What? What's this, out of the blue?"

"I don't know…I just wonder if it's normal for kids our age to think about it. Kaji-_kun_, Nodoka, so many others we've seen today…they all have someone…dear in their hearts…I'm not even sure if I like anyone. What about you?"

"Me?" Kenjirô scowled. "I'm a special case anyway. I'm a _hanyô_. And with the type of demon I am, combat is far more normal for me than romance."

"Ah, but your father mated with a human," Kamo pointed out. "That's why you're here, after all…."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kenjirô snapped. "Find and ask them the circumstances if you want. I don't have any romance in me, regardless."

"Is that so?" Kamo pressed. "You act differently around the three who 'rescued' you, especially Yukari-_chan_ and Kazumi-_chan_. And _you_ seem to have a good relationship with Hina-_chan_…."

"W-what's that, rodent? Do you want a beating?"

"Kain's the one who started it."

"K-Kamo!"

"Oh, that does it! You shouldn't be thinking about these things right now, you should be thinking about the upcoming tournament! C'mon, let's get started, you and me, right now, let's get some practice in!"

"How did this get started?" Kain moaned as he ran into the crowd away from the angered _hanyô_.

Kamo chuckled. "Well, you _did_ start it, Kain. Maybe it would be best to forget the romance for a while…."

"Easy for you to say!"

_Author's Note: Character Introduction: Tear Grants, Rin Tôsaka, Mei Sakura, and Kajirô Tsukai_

_ We'll end this chapter on this rather light-hearted note. Lots of romance in this chapter…kind of a natural progression. I was originally planning to construct my own event tree for the class for Kain's time trips, but it turned out to be such a crazy, daunting task, that I decided just to go with the original's flow as much as possible._

_ First we had Nodoka's date, which I actually severely shortened, because, as I alluded to jokingly several times, in the original Negi doesn't take Nodoka far enough, and right after the pair of passion police girls disrupts their date, Negi allows Nodoka to confess to him in the heart of the tree's power and she asks him for a kiss, and Negi suddenly is turned by the tree into a savage kissing machine. Asuna and the passion police show up to get involved, and Asuna ends up becoming the sacrificial kiss victim. This event was stupid—well, I guess it kind of showed how serious this confession problem could get, but I just rolled my eyes the whole time. Plus, while Kain can be a naïve teenage idiot, he isn't _that_ stupid. So I skipped right to the finish, and let Nodoka make her new confession (edited somewhat) and her daring kiss. Her final half-despairing thought was that she felt like a big sister there (compared to the 10-year old Negi), and that didn't really apply here, but she does seem to sense (or fear) that she still can't quite connect with Kain._

_ Following this, we have our first active trip into the past; Negi was originally spotted by Mana Tatsumiya, another girl from his class, who is a mercenary member of the magic realm and (it is eventually revealed) a half-demonfolk, as they call it in the Negima translations I read. Negi goes around with her and shows her how to curb her ruthlessness in dealing with the confessions._

_ I didn't really have a replacement for Mana—for a shrine maiden, I had Riza Asakaze, but no way does she take Mana's place here. I was going to skip this part entirely, but inspiration told me it would be a good place to bring in a side-character I only recently decided to introduce…Kajirô Tsukai (see below). So Kain has a little adventure with him, and his story is set up. Now, for our next part we'll be going back to Yue, who we left hanging over a chapter ago. Oh, yes, and I had many allusions to Azumamiya from Hayate, that idiot rich boy who is in love with the uber-dense Hinagiku and is abused by his stern and quirky butler. I just had to. Don't worry, he really is able to absorb comic amounts of punishment. He's designed for it, actually._

_ Now, on to introducing these three annoying (currently) ladies…._

_First off, Tear Grants._

_T ear Grants is the primary heroine and second main character of the video game Tales of the Abyss (and its anime and manga adaptations). She is a soldier of the Order of Lorelei, the world's all-powerful Church…and she introduces herself to the main protagonist by invading his manor and attempting to kill his swordmaster—her brother. She is a skilled 'fonic hymnist', which means, in short, that she casts most of her spells through song. She is also a 'Seventh Fonist' (in fact, all fonic hymnists are Seventh Fonists, but they are rare enough on their own). Although young (she is sixteen in the original story and kept pretty much the same age here) she is serious and businesslike, very determined to prove herself a model soldier…although her youth and personal feelings betray her from time to time. Among other things, she's quite fond of cute things, although her _tsundere_ nature causes her to try and conceal this and other traits._

_ Tear's role in the story is as a replacement for Takane D. Goodman, a Japanese-American high schooler who aids the Magic Council of the academy and causes a lot of trouble for Negi. I was never particularly fond of her—in particular, Akamatsu-_sensei_ used her side-character status as an excuse to strip her naked at every available opportunity (yes, she isn't alone in this regard, but she is literally stripped nearly every time she appears). Bratty, stubborn, uptight and annoying, I tossed her and replaced her with Tear…who can be bratty, stubborn, uptight, and annoying, but at least she has real potential. She's one of my favorite video game heroines, and while she won't be a main character at all, I'll have some uses for her. She's going to start out a bit of an obstacle to Kain, as she was this chapter, but she has important roles._

_ As in her original story, her homeland was destroyed while her mother was pregnant with her, and she died shortly after giving birth to Tear, leaving her to be raised by relatives (in this case, at Mahora). Her older brother, who also helped to raise her, disappeared about ten years ago (yes, there's a lot of that going around, isn't there?) Since Van Grants, said older brother, was the main villain in Tales of the Abyss, don't be surprised if he actually resurfaces…._

_A nd speaking of characters from video games, I decided to add Rin Tôsaka to the collection of magic characters at the school. First of all, a note on Americanization of names—the Japanese have many 'long' vowels in their language that are in fact almost impossible for normal Americans to hear, but which make a significant difference in their language. Long E's and I's are usually simply Romanized by a double letter, but O's and U's are usually a trickier matter, varying from translation to translation and sometimes even word to word. Sometimes they are ignored; sometimes U's are doubled (and more rarely, O's are doubled). O sometimes has a U tacked on afterward, and in some cases H is added afterwards. Such is the usual case for characters such as Rin Tohsaka and Asuka Langley Sohryuu, for example. Usually, I'm trying to Romanize both O's and U's from the semi-sophisticated method used in the official Romanized Bleach manga, which, for instance, has characters such as Tôshirô Hitsugaya…hence the name is Rin Tôsaka here. This is similar to the format shown by sites such as Wikipedia, which Romanizes those letters as having a line above to distinguish it from the short vowel. Naturally, since my Japanese is actually nonexistent, I'm sure I've made some errors, and I've done a lot of revising in all of this, but if it in any way 'changes' the characters—maybe that's for the best :P_

_ Oh, Rin Tôsaka. Rin's game of origin, Fate/stay Night, was not an action RPG like Tales of the Abyss, but…yet another eroge, like Fortune Arterial, but like Fortune Arterial it spawned an interesting manga and anime. The 'Fate' universe (there have been several different new games and specific anime and manga adaptations, sequels, and prequels spawned by the first game, all prefaced by the word Fate) is a fascinating 'magic in a modern world' setting somewhat similar to Negima's (although much darker), so her addition fits in several ways. It was a natural choice to make the powerful and influential Tôsaka family part of the Magic Council of Mahora._

_ In the original story, Rin is part of the 'War of the Holy Grail', a secret war between mages in a small Japanese town where, using the summoned spirits of historic and mythological heroes, the mages fight to the death in order to gain the Holy Grail (named after, but noted in the story as not being the same as, the legendary Christian relic) and gain a powerful wish. Her father was in the last war many years before but he was killed during the course of it (murdered by his best friend and disciple, in fact). She's determined to use her elite magic skills to avenge her father's death and redeem the honor of her family by obtaining the Holy Grail. She is a bit of a _yandere_—she's beautiful, incredibly intelligent, outgoing, outspoken, and dutifully takes care of her fellow students (like Hinagiku, she's especially prone, and has been since her youth, to protecting the other girls from bullies and troublesome boys) but she's sharp-tongued and sometimes belligerent when alone with the protagonist. Of course, despite her desire to have the proper cold heart necessary to be involved in a fight to the death, she has too many morals and scruples to be truly ruthless. Like Tear, however, when in a position of authority, as she is at this time, she can be an annoying character as she attempts to exert that authority. And like Tear, later on she'll become a part-time but valuable ally._

_ Rin's own magic focuses on 'jewel' magic mostly, and curses second. She uses jewels as a magic catalyst to cast most of her powerful spells, from attacks to healing and quite a variety of others, such as the familiars I had her use to hunt Sakura earlier. She can also hurl 'curses', which, to the Japanese, means a missile spell that inflicts sickness and such afflictions on people that it hits but that, when it strikes inanimate objects, causes damage as if it were a solid object itself. Style over substance, the _anime_ way._

_M ei Sakura is actually from the original Negima. She is Takane D. Goodman's partner (she's even her Pactio partner; the first example in the original that this 'rare and powerful' mode of making artifacts was apparently closer to a fire sale) in their work in protecting the school. There's some misfortune in keeping her…her name is likely to cause some confusion with Meia Gisborn and Sakura Sanada. Still, she was worth keeping—a minor character, not in the class, but amusing. She's cute and withdrawn, nervous and shy, but very determined to help her '_onee-sama_' and support her in their duties. Takane is wild and outrageous in charging into things, and Mei is always dragged along with her. She's 13, a year younger than our main characters, and will be a supporting character tagging along with Tear and Rin here._

_ The broom she carries is normally Mei's artifact; however, since she doesn't have a contract in this universe, it's simply a magic item, probably passed down by her family. We don't know a whole lot else about her, although she has a variety of magic she can use. _

_ Finally, Kajirô Tsukai. He's a unique character I created. I originally conceived him for Season 4 of the Magiverse; this Season opens with Eric, Ryan, and the rest of the Howling Moon getting ready to head into the Core on a trip to save the Magiverse from collapsing. The side-plot to this 'season' is the presence of Hayate Ayasaki's class on board the ship—long story short, whimsical Nagi has been convinced to pay Lina (Ryan's economical partner) big money to have her class given a tour of the Magiverse's Core._

_ Hayate, of course, has a harem problem, similar to Negi's (and Kain's) and, in some cases, worse; and, as I've repeatedly mentioned, a member of my favorites collection, Hinagiku Katsura, is a member of that group. I conceived Kajirô Tsukai as a member of the class to…help the harem problems out a little by creating a serious love triangle between Hayate, Hinagiku and Kajirô. Or at least make it more interesting. Help out by introducing someone who can, conceivably, eventually steal away Hinagiku's heart, but in the meantime he's a great romantic comedy victim in the love triangle. Anyway, while I was drumming things up for the Festival, I suddenly decided that he would make another fine male addition to this party as well._

_ Kajirô is overall rather nondescript, withdrawn, and quiet—not shy or introverted, per se, but simply…not outgoing. In some ways he is similar to Kyonosuke Kaoru, the P.E. teacher who is a childhood friend of Hinagiku's sister Yukiji and still burns a little for her, no matter how pathetic she's become. Kajirô is in the same boat, although he isn't as pathetic—he's been in love with Hinagiku since they were both small, but he knows that the dutiful Hinagiku doesn't feel the same way towards him, and doesn't want to go where he isn't wanted. He's also bothered by insecurities—they have been increased in this version since his (significantly older in this work) brother is gone. He has a powerful magic talent—in his case, he's essentially a human with a (powerful) _zanpaku-tô_—but it's one he doesn't want. He's a borderline pacifist, and so he doesn't want a warlike talent like this. The fact that it's the main source of his power depresses him._

_ As I noted above, he suddenly became useful to accompanying Kain on their mission to stop confessions. Kain is going to be good for helping Kajirô…although things will get interesting when he realizes that Kain is the one Hinagiku's fallen for…._

_ Like Tear, Rin, and Mei, he will have some interesting parts during the Festival (and he will prove more useful sooner) and then disappear for a little while before returning to help out._

_ So, now we're on to the next chapter, and the tournament is on the way…._


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer__: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors)._

Chapter Five: Sharp Mind, Sharp Blade

It is approximately 4:12 PM on the first day of the Festival. To Kain, this is still his third trip through this day.

"Ami!" Yue called. "I thought we weren't going to follow…?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid of what _they_ will end up doing if we leave them alone…." Ami turned and hurried away.

Yue sighed. "Really," she muttered. "Everyone has such bad intentions. Of course, I'm worried too, especially about those three, but….

"Oh, well. I guess I'll spend the rest of the day walking around the Festival stalls alone."

She actually smiled slightly as she considered the situation. _('Do your best, Nodoka,')_ she thought.

And, lost in thought, she didn't see where she was going, and bumped heavily into someone.

"S-sorry, I wasn't watching where I was…." She stopped and froze as the face turned to her. "_What!? You_!?"

She gaped at the pair. "K-Kain-_sensei_!? And Kenjirô-_san_!?"

"Oh, hello," Kenjirô said politely.

Kain stammered out, "Y-Yue-_san_!?"

"Weren't you walking away with Nodoka just a second ago?" Yue demanded. "And why on earth are you suddenly dressed like that? _What are you still doing here, Kain-_sensei_!?"_

"Eh? Oh, blast," Kain muttered. "It's this time…."

"Come here!" Yue barked, grabbing Kain's wrist and dragging him behind her. "Where's Nodoka? Nodoka!"

"N-no, Yue-_san_!" Kain pleaded.

"What's up with her?" Kenjirô muttered.

"Ah, it's complicated," Kamo explained from Kenjirô's shoulder.

They were now up on a walkway, and she spotted Nodoka down below, walking beside….

"Kain-_sensei_!? _Two _Kain-_senseis_!? What's going on here!?"

"T-that's…" Kain began.

Yue narrowed her eyes at Kain. "Is this like the school trip, when you had all those fake _senseis_ and just the one real one? The fakes didn't have your cloak…did you send a fake to date Nodoka while you snuck off by yourself!?"

"That's not it!" Kain finally managed. "Both of them are the real me!"

"_Both_ of them are real? I don't understand! Explain this, now!"

A few minutes later, at a café table, Kain did.

"Time…time machine…?" Yue examined the egg. "This little thing…that's what it really is…?"

"Yes…it's a gift from Sakura-_san_, in exchange for helping her. It's not strictly magic…it uses mana, but relies more on technology (MagiTech, to be precise) and _reiatsu_ to function."

Yue shook her head. "I'm getting used to magic, but still…something like this is just too incredible…."

"I'll say," Kenjirô commented. "Although it explains a few things. This is why you suddenly had enough time to help Kaji-_kun_ with the patrols earlier."

"So…" Yue mused, "you're the Kain-_sensei_ who is going through this day for the third time…."

"Yes…."

"In that case, there's something I want to ask you. The date with Nodoka…did it go well?"

Yue's look was imploring and hopeful, but Kenjirô quickly spoiled it. "Wait…date? And Nodoka is the girl who reads minds, right?"

"I-it wasn't a date…." Kain attempted again. "We just walked around the Festival…."

"No, it was definitely a date," Yue affirmed. She looked at Kain expectantly.

Kain lowered his head and scratched at it. "Well…it…went well enough…there was a little bit of trouble…at the end…."

"Really? Sounds like business as usual for you," Yue quipped. "More importantly…did you both enjoy it?"

_["Kain-_sensei_, today made me really happy. Thank you for everything!"]_

"Y-yes, I think so," Kain admitted. "I think we both enjoyed it…Nodoka, especially."

Yue gave her slight, thoughtful smile. "I see. I feel satisfied, hearing that. Thank you."

Kenjirô sighed. "Kain…you're having so much trouble with girls…it's rather pathetic for someone intent on being a warrior."

Kain flushed in shame, but Yue bristled at the comment. "Kenjirô-_san_…I don't think you have a right to say anything to him. It doesn't have anything to do with you."

Kenjirô shrugged. "Maybe not. But it concerns me if Kain-_kun_ lets himself get weak because of his girl problems. He's my rival, and we still haven't properly settled things between us…."

Yue glowered at him. "I've been wanting to say this to you for a while. You're way too concerned about things like strength, like winning and losing."

"Really? You might think so, since you're an ordinary human, but I'm a Blade-demon _hanyô_. Battle is in my blood and bones…."

"Is that so? I don't think someone like you will ever become truly strong."

Kenjirô's calm faded as he glowered back at her. "What?"

"'Not knowing what love is means not knowing true power,'" Yue quoted. "You can't dismiss feelings of love or consider them mere trivialities."

Kenjirô stared at her, trying to come up with a retort to this combat. He probably knew _something_ about 'love', but he had set himself up as seeming quite insensitive to the subject with his earlier outburst.

Kain clapped lightly. "As expected of our Philosophy Girl," he commented. "That sounded like a famous quote of some sort…."

"My grandfather was the philosopher who said that," she remarked.

"Very pretty," Kenjirô finally managed. "You mock my concern for 'power'? Without 'power', you can't even protect the things you love. If you walk the path of the warrior, whether it's for yourself or for others, you need strength to pursue that path."

"Noted. But what comes after being 'strong'? Is it simply to hold onto the throne of the strongest? It's impossible to achieve infinite knowledge, infinite power. Those who want power will one day reach a limit. And only after they reach that limit will they see how powerless they really are. If you can't recognize the weakness inherent in your own strength, you understand nothing of your own power. To such ignorant people, your precious test of strength becomes no different than a group of kids at a playground comparing their heights."

Kenjirô threw his hands up in disgust and turned away. "Fine. It's obvious we'll never understand each other. I'm out. Kain-_kun_…they've pushed the tournament back and given you a reprieve, but don't forget to be there at seven-thirty!" He stalked off.

"Heh…running away because he can't win an argument," Kamo laughed.

"Kamo…" Kain sighed. He turned to Yue. "S-sorry about that…."

"N-no…that was terrible of me…." Yue sighed in turn. "To argue so easily with someone who just thinks differently…that was so immature.

"Grandpa always told me to avoid that bad habit," she explained. "I try to be careful, but…but when he said those things, I just couldn't hold back…."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Kamo chuckled. "It's a good experience for Kenjirô. He needs to learn you can't solve every problem by swinging a sword at it."

"And I thought your passion was very moving," Kain agreed. "You were pretty cool there, Yue-_san_."

"No, it's quite embarrassing…."

_('Yes, so embarrassing…getting into such an argument with Kain-_sensei_'s friend…I need to reflect on my actions….')_

She shook herself and started away. "Well, I'll take my leave. I need to get changed and go to a ceremony…."

"Wait, Yue-_san_." Yue turned back in surprise. "That…if you're free, could you stay with me for a while?"

"…Eh?"

The pair (trio?) shortly found themselves on a steamer making laps around the lake. Yue had changed into a rather odd dress, a kind of medieval peasant girl outfit, with a bonnet and two front braided pigtails (a supplement to her hair she used off and on).

Yue and Kain stood silently next to each other on the bow. Time had passed without either of them speaking.

Yue looked uncomfortably at Kain. _('We left the Festival and came here, and yet we can't find anything to say…and this is the first time I've walked with _Sensei_ like this….'_

_ ('It seems he really doesn't have anything to say to me,')_ her thoughts continued. _('And he looks so tired…. Ahhh…this silence feels so awkward. Even Nodoka can talk easily to him now…think of a topic…something to say….')_

"Oh! That's right!" Kain looked over at her in surprise. "There's something I wanted to show you, Kain-_sensei_."

She withdrew the practice wand Kain had given her from her purse and held it up. "Light," she said easily, and a candle flame appeared above the brandished stick.

"Great!" Kain congratulated her. "Well done! You're really coming along with magic, Yue-_san_."

"Yep. Well, I've been practicing every day. I can only do some of the most basic spells, but I've gotten good at them. Wind," she demonstrated, causing a light breeze to blow…but not, in this case, cause dresses to suddenly flare up.

She carefully (they weren't quite secluded, after all) demonstrated a few other spells, and then put her wand away. They sat at a bench as Yue continued telling of her adventures in magical exercises.

"Three hours a day, even outside of our trips to Alyssa's villa?" Kain nodded. "Impressive."

"No, it's nothing compared to _Sensei_…."

"Well, you certainly have rare talent," Kamo commented. "Would you like to make a contract with the kiddo now?"

"Kamo…."

"T-that…."

Kamo laughed heartily as the two blushed and scowled at him.

As Kain sighed and smiled in his attempt to recover his composure, Yue considered him again. _('Good…he's smiling now…he seems better….')_

Indeed, Yue's demonstration had seemed to quell the hesitancy he was feeling. He suddenly asked, "Yue-_san_…right now…do you have anyone you like?"

"_Eh!?_ Wha…wha…what are you saying!? I don't…."

"Ah, no, sorry…it's about Nodoka…."

Yue calmed down quickly at this addendum. "Eh? Nodoka? Did…something bad happen during the date?"

"Oh, no, nothing bad…nothing nearly as bad as could have happened, certainly. We definitely avoided the bad, but…I-I just thought that you might be the only person I could discuss this with….

"The truth is…Nodoka confessed to me again…and, more than that…she kissed me…."

Kamo and Yue both gaped at the flushing face. "Eh…?" Yue managed.

"_Ehhhhhhhhh!?_" they said in unison.

"I-is that so!?" Yue enthused. _('She did it…well done, Nodoka!')_

"Nice, Kiddo!"

"Yeah, yeah…but…." Kain sighed. "The truth is…I don't know how to…to face Nodoka after this…it's even harder than the last time…. I don't feel like I could…like I should…just ignore her…."

Yue calmed down. "Kain-_sensei_, don't you like Nodoka?"

"That's not it," Kain assured her. "Of course, I like Nodoka…I…I have lots of fun talking with her…I enjoy being with her. But I don't really understand…what it really means…to like girls…and what to do about it…."

Yue considered Kain in confusion. "Of course, I'm a fourteen-year-old young man," Kain continued. "I'm…well…I've reached the age where I find the opposite sex…interesting…but…I can't afford to give in to those feelings. I've got…so many other things I have to think about…."

_('That's right…')_ Yue thought. _('Why didn't I realize…? Kain-_sensei_ is a young man our age, so it's only natural that he'd be interested in girls the way…we…are interested in boys…that's what we thought. But, Kain-_sensei_ didn't have a normal childhood. He's normally been amongst adults, and he didn't have any chance at a normal life. And now, everything around him tells him that he can't be a normal teenager, even though he's surrounded by them…and his own morals shackle him to that…what have we…?')_

Kamo was mercifully silent during this rant. Kain continued, "I'm still training…as a mage, and as a teacher…I just don't have time to think about other things…."

"Yes…" Yue said finally. "That's the situation…. Come to think of it, you two are in a teacher-student relationship. So…so if you don't reply until Nodoka graduates, it won't matter…."

"I'm not sure…I thought, maybe that was fine, too…but now, after that…it's obvious that Nodoka is wishing for…something more…."

_('Of course…because we've pushed her….')_

"No, I don't think Nodoka is hoping for a reply, either."

_('…Eh…? What am I saying…? At a time like this, as Nodoka's friend, shouldn't I encourage _Sensei_? Shouldn't I tell him to think seriously about what he feels about Nodoka…?')_

"And also…Nodoka doesn't look like she's really desperate. Ami and I have pushed her too much, but we have told her it's something she needs to think about…."

_('No…considering Kain-_sensei_'s situation, this is the proper advice. And for Nodoka also….')_

"Nodoka only wanted to show you how she feels. If she knew that _Sensei_ was worrying about this, I don't think Nodoka would be very happy. I think…_Sensei_ should just stay as he is right now, and I think Nodoka would want the same thing, too."

Kain sat staring out, a somewhat blank look on his face. "I see," he said, finally, returning to life. "You're right, of course…that's the best…no, the only solution. I'm glad I asked you, Yue-_san_. You've helped me realize what I knew already. I feel much better now."

He rose. "If you'll allow me to excuse myself for a moment…I have to visit the restrooms. Thank you very much, Yue-_san_."

He turned and departed, but Yue stared without moving, her heart frozen by that cheerful smile and heartfelt gratitude. She tried to shake herself awake and call after Kain, but he was gone.

She continued to stare after him. _('It can't be…I…._

_ ('I'm the one…feeling so relieved…knowing that Kain-_sensei_…doesn't have anyone, yet, that he really likes…knowing that Kain-_sensei_ and Nodoka haven't taken a step forward…I feel relieved instead…._

_ ('Ah…ah…I…I really am….')_

Yue buried her face in her hands, giving out a mournful cry. _('Why do I feel like this!? Am I stupid? Didn't I just do a horrible thing? Tricking Kain-_sensei_…pretending to know Nodoka's feelings so well…and pretending to give good advice…__**I really am a stupid fool!**__')_

She sobbed. _('I can't lie to myself like this anymore, no matter how much I try to pretend…no matter how much I suppress my feelings…I worked hard to learn magic, but wasn't it just to take a step towards that side of the world?_

_ ('I…I….')_

"You really like the kiddo, don't you, Yuecchi?" Kamo asked smugly.

Yue freaked. She had forgotten about him. "Ka-Ka-Ka-Ka-Kamo-_san_!"

"How kind, suppressing your own feelings for the sake of a friend," Kamo continued sweetly, his voice dripping with syrup.

Yue flushed even worse. Her face was as red as the setting sun. "Wha…!? No, you've got it all wrong!"  
>"Hohoho…it's no use lying about it," Kamo chortled. "As a spirit of contracts and binding, I can sense human emotions, especially feelings of attachment between people…."<p>

Kamo suddenly produced a scroll and unrolled it. The names of the class members were listed alongside numbers. "I can even measure the various levels of everyone's feelings, and right now, you're at the top in the rate of growth…."

If Yue was panicking before, she was now on the verge of a heart attack. "AAAAAAHHH! PLEASE DON'T SAY IT!"

Kamo vanished the scroll. "Still," he continued snidely, "don't reply until graduation…that was pretty evil, Yuecchi…."

Yue quavered, stuttered, and then finally turned and started dashing off towards the restroom. "I'll go tell Kain-_sensei_ that he should reply to Nodoka right now!"

"Oh, wait a moment…." Kamo's tail suddenly lengthened out in rather cartoonish way, wrapping around Yue's ankle and tripping her, stopping her instantly. "You seem to have misunderstood something, _Ojô-chan_."

"No! Let me go!"

"If you force the kiddo to reply now, it won't turn out that great. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Hohoho…honestly, it was good advice. The only proper advice."

"Please let me go! I want to go to Kain-_sensei_…."

Kamo laughed again. "Just be honest, Yuecchi. You've fallen into the forbidden love triangle…although, honestly, that doesn't even begin to describe the competition for Kain's feelings…."

"No, I haven't! Nodoka is my most important…."

"Friend, right? Still…can you be a proper friend when you're hiding your own feelings?"

"N-no…I…." Yue was in tears.

Kamo sighed, and retracted his tail, then appeared in front of Yue's face. "Don't let your conflicted feelings make things worse," he said. "I could see it on your face before…you realized what a mistake you've made. Nodoka-_chan_ _would_ have been perfectly happy watching Kain from afar, rather than pressing her feelings, but you and Ami-_chan_ have been pushing her. Kagome-_chan_, and even Momo-_chan_, too, to an extent. Because there are so many girls pursuing his heart, you're afraid of her falling behind, so you've been pushing her. Well, I can't say much, because I'm also partly to blame…but it won't help if you let your silly worries of betraying your friend pressure you…."

"I'm back," Kain remarked. He stared at Yue, kneeling on the floor, only halfway in the act of rising. "Er…did something happen…?"

"NO! NOTHING HAPPENED!"

"Yue-_san_…are you crying…? Did Kamo say something to you?"

"No! It's just some dust in my eye! Really, _nothing happened_!"

Some time later, the boat finally docked and the passengers began to disembark.

"I need to go to the Battle Tournament soon," Kain said. "It was supposed to start at 5:30, but then Kenjirô told me they'd pushed it back to 7:30 for some reason. Normally this would be the time that I set aside for patrols, but I was able to do my share earlier, because of the egg…and if needed, I guess I can always run back…." He shook himself awake and focused on his student. "What about you, Yue-_san_?"

"Well, I have nothing to do before eight…."

"Then, would you like to come and watch? Everyone is coming as well…."

"Eh? Um…."

"Please…as thanks for staying with me and advising me…."

"No…I…there is no need…sorry…."

There was a cough from Kamo. "C'mon, Yuecchi," he implored sweetly, fixing a special stare at her.

Yue tried to hide her furious glower. _('How frustrating…the most annoying person knows the things I wanted to keep secret the very most!')_

She dropped her head in despair and played with the bonnet in her hands. _('I'm sorry, Nodoka…it wasn't intentional…everything I said…._

_ ('Oh, Grandpa,')_ she implored, looking at the darkening sky, _('what should I do?')_

"Are you sure you didn't do anything to Yue-_san_?" Kain demanded of his companion. "She looks troubled now…."

"I swear, nothing…really…."

Meanwhile, Nodoka and a previous Kain….

"Is something wrong, Nodoka?" Kain asked, showing his usual combination of attentiveness and cluelessness.

"No, nothing…are there any other good books?"

She glanced around for one in desperation and recoiled anew at the sight of two kissing lovers on its face.

Kain noticed her looking at it, although he could not see the shame on her face. "What's that book?" he asked politely.

Nodoka didn't bother to try and find out, but shoved it away. "N-nothing! No good!"

_('I-I can't go thinking about kissing…that sort of stuff….')_

And we know how it goes from there….

Because the opening of the tournament had been delayed, there was still a little time left, and so Kain treated Yue to dinner. They ate in good humor, although Kain kept asking about Yue's condition, and she had to assure him that she was fine.

Finally Kenjirô appeared and joined them. "What's up?" Kain asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, just trying to get you going to the tournament. I signed us up earlier, but there's some confusion about where the place is. We better go check it out and make sure we're on time."

Yue seemed thoughtful. "May I ask…? What is this tournament? Just what have you been talking about?"

"Oh, right…." Kain showed a flyer to Yue. "It's the qualifying round for this martial arts tournament, the one Akari-_san_ won last year."

"Akari-_san_? That's strange…the tournament Akari-_san_ won was the UltiMahora Festival that takes place during the Cultural and Sports Festival of the fall. I don't recall there being a large martial arts tournament during the Mahora Festival."

"Huh? What does that mean?" Kain asked, bewildered.

Yue examined the flyer. "Ah, just as I thought…see, the winner of this tournament only wins 100,000 yen. It's probably just a small tournament."

"Eh? What do you mean small?" Kenjirô demanded.

"This Festival has a very long history…there are quiz tournaments and attribute contests that can award 1-2 million yen quite easily; in comparison, this tournament seems quite small indeed. Simply put, I wouldn't get your hopes up about the level of competition in this tournament."

"What? Seriously?" Kenjirô seemed genuinely depressed by the idea.

"If you look around, you could probably find a bigger one," Yue offered.

"Haha…did you just sign up for any old one, Kenjirô-_kun_?" Kain asked teasingly.

"No! I signed up for the one Alyssa-_chan_ suggested. I guess she was just playing a joke on us…."

"Well, I guess we won't have to worry much about it."

"Yeah…I suppose I'll just have to be satisfied with the chance of facing you. I signed us up already, so we should just go and see who'll get to win the 100,000 yen."

"Right. Yue-_san_, you should really come too."

"Eh…b-but…."

At Kain's coaxing, Yue finally followed the two as they sought out their tournament. As Kenjirô had said, some confusion had arisen about the tournament, and it wasn't regarding its size. When they made it to the site the flyer had pointed out, a sign gave them directions to a new location…off-campus.

Confused and somewhat curious, the three followed the directions, even taking a train over to the location…..

"Isn't this the Saginomiya shrine?" Yue commented. She then explained, "The Saginomiya family is part of the School's Council, of course, which would suggest that the family is actually a mage family. It's the oldest and most noteworthy shrine in the city…and the largest. Is the Saginomiya family responsible for this change of venue…?"

"And why is there such a big crowd?" Kenjirô wondered. "There is…."

"Kain-_sensei_! Kenjirô-_kun_! Yue-_chan_!"

They turned to see Akari waving and heading toward them. Kiami, as was usual, accompanied her, along with a dark-haired young man their age in a fine _kimono_ with a _bokken_, or wooden sword, at his waist. "So, you two came to this tournament as well! And you came to watch, Yue-_chan_?"

Kiami raised a hand in stoic greeting while Akari chattered, and the young man bowed to them. "Good to see you again, Kain-_sensei_, Kenjirô-_san_. To think that fate would bring us together here so soon. My expectations for this tournament have certainly risen if you are here."

Kain looked blank for a moment, then his mind came to a swift, panic-inducing conclusion. While he fumbled around for a response to this stranger his future self had obviously met earlier in the day, Kenjirô returned the greetings. "Likewise, Tsukino-_san_. I can certainly say the same to you. I look forward to finally seeing you in action."

Ah, yes, now Kain could identify him—he was an attentive teacher, after all, and had heard this name before. Yes, Hikaru Tsukino, the two martial artist girls' companion from Yokohama and a _third_ magnificent martial arts dôjô. "Good evening, Tsukino-_san_. So, can you tell us what this is about?"

"We're not entirely sure," Kiami responded. "However, apparently someone went around buying out all the small tournaments scheduled for the Festival and…well, see for yourself." She pointed to a sign on the wall, and as the newcomers viewed it, they did double-, triple-, and quadruple-takes.

"T-Ten million yen!? What's with that?" Kain demanded.

"Whoever the buyer is, they've made this into a major event," Kiami said, perhaps unnecessarily. "Normally, this isn't the season for martial arts tournaments, but someone thought differently this year."

"I hear it's the resurrection of the legendary martial arts tournament," Hikaru added. "It was once held annually, but they stopped it around twenty-five years ago."

"Legendary martial arts tournament?" Yue asked somewhat skeptically.

"The martial arts boom faded, which is why it stopped, I guess," Akari explained. "It was the center of attention during the Mahora Festival back then. Some of our masters talk fondly about it. With so many people entering, and so much attention drawn to it, it should be quite interesting…perhaps even better than the UltiMahora Tournament."

"Ah…so you three are entering too," Kain sighed. "Suddenly my chances of victory don't look so good."

Kenjirô tapped him lightly on the back of the head. "Don't count yourself out before we get started. You've really improved your fighting skills lately. You have as good a chance as anyone…."

"Kain-_sensei_…and all of you!"

Their party was joined by Mai, Momo, Kagome, Hinagiku and Erika.

They moved together and exchanged their greetings, and Kain asked after the trio's patrol fortunes, which had gone smoothly.

"So, what are you all doing here?" Kain asked, and once again realized that there was a problem.

Hinagiku looked at him, confused. "You're the one who invited us to come today, Kain-_sensei_," she told him. "And we felt we should…after all, we still haven't had a chance to thank you for all the help you gave us today."

Momo, Mai, and Kagome exchanged meaningful glances, and Kain began to realize just how much of a headache this time-traveling was going to be. "Oh, right…sorry, you have no idea how long this day has been for me…."

"So, what's the deal with this crowd?" Mai demanded. "It seems this tournament has gotten awful big awful fast…."

They explained the situation to her, and all five gaped. "T-ten million!?"

Mai considered this. "With that much money…I could pay all my tuition and expenses for this school…all the way through the university level…."

"She doesn't dream small, does she?" Kagome giggled.

"Ten million yen!? With that much money, I can drink all the Dom Pérignon I want! Where's the sign-up for this tournament!? I'm entering!"

Racing like a whirlwind, Yukiji Katsura barreled through the crowd. They stared after her. Hinagiku sighed. "_Onee-chan_…."

"Seems like she's determined to win," Akari noted. "Her single-mindedness is somewhat refreshing…."

"Why don't you enter too, Mai?" Momo encouraged her friend. "You might perform well. It would be good to see how much your training has come along."

"Eh…I'm not much for fighting…but still, for ten million…."

"The ten million aside, perhaps we should enter as well, Hina-_chan_," Erika offered.

"I suppose it's not a terrible idea…."

Hikaru had bowed out of this class reunion and gone to investigate a little more, leaving Kamo to pitch in, "It seems that, now that someone new has taken over, they'll be taking entrants until the event starts or they get 160 total participants."

"Really? This is all rather strange," Yue remarked. "Why would someone buy all the other events and then host such a huge and expensive event…?"

"Well, I really don't care!" Kenjirô enthused. "The money doesn't matter to me, but it seems it's drawing in a lot more skilled and interesting combatants…and if Akari-_san _is among them, this is a tournament worth entering…."

"That's great," Yue replied, smiling. "I'm happy for you guys."

Kenjirô nodded at her. "Now you can see what it means for a man to be engaged in battle."

"Oooh…you sound so scary, Kenjirô-_kun_."

Kenjirô jumped as Yukari suddenly joined the throng. "Hiya!" she continued.

"Hirai-_san_? What are you doing here? I-I never mentioned a tournament to you…did I…?"

"I searched for it specifically and came to cheer you on," Yukari replied, indicating by her speech that she meant she intended to cheer on multiple people. "I even ditched tonight's practice early to come see it. Matake and Kazumi should be coming later on as well."

A loudspeaker suddenly announced the opening of the doors; the crowd had been gathered at the gates leading to the temple ground but had not yet been allowed inside the large land of the 'shrine'. Now they could finally enter and see….

The massive courtyard of the great Saginomiya Shrine was filled with eight raised platforms—the square 'rings' for the tournament, apparently. Standing at the top of the steps leading up to the main building's front doors, dressed in a short, sleeveless white one-piece dress and announcing the event into a microphone was….

"N-Nanami-_san_?" Kain sputtered.

"Students of Mahora as well as our honored visitors!" Nanami cried. "Welcome to the resurrection of the 'Mahora True Battle Tournament!' Our thanks go to all of you who have gathered on short notice.

"The grand prize is 10,000,000 yen! Raise your arms for this famous and traditional event!"

"Why is Nanami-_san_ hosting this?" Mai whispered.

Momo suddenly came hurrying back to the group. "Kamo-_kun_, this is bad!" she hissed.

Kamo had made his way to Yue's head, and Yue asked, "What's the matter, Momo-_san_?"

"The person who bought this event! Take a look!"

"Hmm? Oh, this person is…."

Nanami was already following that train of thought. "And now, presenting the event's host…let us hear from our sponsor who arranged it all! Presenting the most popular student in the academy, the remarkable master of all arts…."

And, striding out in the same traditional _kimono_ she wore in Cinema town those many weeks ago, carrying the same umbrella…. "…Sanada Sakura!"

"_Kombawa_," she greeted the assembled group.

There was a mixed reaction from the crowd. Many of the students in attendance cheered for the girl, but most of the adult visitors seemed quite perplexed. Kain heard more than one comment along the lines of, "Eh? The person in charge is this little girl?"

Sakura comported herself with extreme decorum and control. She seemed unaware of any reaction from the crowd, and simply said in a light and pleasant but strong voice, "I bought this event for a single reason…to find the strongest fighter among you, whether from the inner world or the outer world."

"Inner world?" came mutterings from the crowd. "Is she talking about the _yakuza_ or something?"

"Twenty-five years ago," Sakura continued, "this event existed to allow masters from the outer world to compete against champions of the inner world…to see who was stronger. However, with the development of advanced video technology, particularly in easily-portable sizes, it became too dangerous an event to host—a threat to the best secrets of both the inner and outer worlds. It was considered too much trouble to deal with at the time, and so the event was abandoned.

"My goal, however, is to resurrect the 'True Battle' in all its glory! There are no restrictions to combat, save in the summoning of spirits—this is a battle for true fighters, not puppet masters! Otherwise, any weapons or techniques are allowed!"

"W-what?" Kain gasped, scarcely believing what he heard.

"That girl…" Yue murmured.

"What is she saying in front of all these normal people?" Momo demanded.

Almost as if she could hear their outcries over the other rumblings of the crowd, Sakura suddenly said, "At this time, there is no need to worry about any secrets, truly like the old tournament. In this day and age, no rational person believes nonsense without solid proof. During this event, all outside electronic capture devices—cameras, video recorders, even those functions on phones—will be completely blocked.

"Those from the inner world can use all their abilities to their fullest…and likewise, masters of the outer world can show their greatest skills without worry! Those who underestimate and doubt the powers of either world can see with their own eyes just what this world is made of!

"Now, to explain a few other small details…."

Most of the crowd near the party was now filled with levity. "Well, whatever she's talking about, there are no rules, right? That's just fine and dandy!"

"This 'inner world' doesn't sound so tough! We'll show what real martial arts are all about!"

"What's she planning?" Momo hissed.

"Wish I knew," Kamo remarked.

"Sakura-_san_ seems to have many obligations and extensive resources," Yue remarked. "Still, I find it surprising she can fund this tournament. What does it mean that she received permission to host this event on Saginomiya territory?"

"Nice…I'm getting excited," Kenjirô remarked.

"Are you kidding?" Kain barked. "This could be seriously bad!"

"Why? With all these strong fighters…."

"Yes, but Sakura-_san_ was nearly taken away by the school for getting involved in the magical world and spying on magic secrets, and now she's hosting a tournament that's borderline exposing those secrets…."

"Are you really that worried about it?"

Kain started as Alyssa wandered up, flanked by her usual guard. "The Saginomiya family is quite responsible when it comes to their duties, even if their magically-talented matriarchs have little common sense," she explained coyly. "Sakura explained it, didn't she? The 'secret' aspect is being taken care of. Besides, I hope that you don't put the good money I'm sinking into this project to waste."

"Eh? _Your_ money?" Kain gawked. "You're funding Sakura-_san_ in this?"

"That's right. It seemed an interesting diversion. I'm doing it on the side, so don't go blabbing about it." She gazed at the assembled group and smiled. "And I expect all of you fighters to compete, as the price for using my villa so much. I want to see what each of you is capable of after all I've given you. I'll excuse Kagome, Yue, Nodoka, Ami and Kazumi, non-fighters all, but the rest of you _will_ join."

"Oh? That means this many of my students will be entering? Perhaps I should pitch in too."

Kain's face lit up. "Takamichi!"

"Yo, Kain-_kun_!" Takamichi greeted him as Alyssa scowled at the interloper. "It seems you've been busy. And your fun isn't over yet…."

"Why would you want to enter something like this?" Alyssa growled crossly.

"Well, I meant to just come and take a look," the teacher declared. "But when Kain-_kun_ was little, I told him I would have a duel with him once he grew strong enough. This seems like a great opportunity for that."

"A-ah…that's right…but I don't think I'm ready to have a proper duel with you yet…" Kain muttered.

Kain's discomfort seemed to renew Alyssa's spirits. "No, it might be a good opportunity to see how far you've come," she said sweetly. "You really should enter too, Hawk-boy. Just remember the punishment if you don't win the tournament, Kain-_sensei_." She turned and strode away, and Miyu followed her as usual.

Sakura had been announcing the minor rules during this time—talking about how, despite the legality of all weapons, killing was forbidden, and anyone who killed an opponent or put them in critical condition would be instantly disqualified. She remarked to the stunned and angry members of the crowd that any true master, of either the inner or outer world, could control their power to that extent easily, and anyone who couldn't understand these possibilities would be unlikely to advance in any case.

Then she said, "Oh, and I almost forgot to mention one last thing—the winner of the last tournament twenty-five years ago. He was an American who was not a member of the school, but who was granted an honorary diploma from the academy. He was a young boy, only ten years old at the time…Kalan Lockeheart. Some of you may be familiar with the name. If you are…you know exactly what level you are aspiring to if you seek to win this tournament."

Several members of the group, including Mai and Yue, stared in shock. "Kalan Lockeheart…isn't that Kain-_sensei_'s father?" Yue demanded.

"Is that really true?" Mai asked.

"So I heard," Kamo agreed. "I hadn't joined him at the time, of course."

Takamichi was lost in thought. "Yes, I remember…I was nothing but a young boy at the time, living far from Japan, so I never saw the tournament, but I did hear about it often."

Kain had been growing more and more apprehensive about the tournament with every word from Sakura and every command from Alyssa and every appearance of a new strong challenger. Now, however, his entire visage had changed. He stared out at Sakura with the calm, serene face he always wore when he thought about his predecessor.

"That's right," he murmured. "I'd heard that this was how he earned his initial fame…so, this is where it all started for him.

"Kenjirô…I'm going to enter this tournament…_and win it_."

Kenjirô turned to Kain in surprise, then smiled. "There you go. That's the proper attitude. Now, you're worth fighting."

Yue gazed at Kain thoughtfully. "…His eyes changed the minute he heard his father's name," she mentioned to Kamo.

"Yep…."

"…I think I sort of understand now."

"Hmm? Understand what?"

"He's our age, a fourteen-year-old boy…it would be normal for him to like girls, even start liking a particular girl…but truly…ever since that snowy day ten years ago…all he could ever really see…was his father's back in front of him…. That's probably what attracts Nodoka so much."

"And Yuecchi, too?"

"You're twisting things, Kamo-_san_."

"It seems we have our 160 contestants signed up!" Nanami announced shortly afterward. And we must parenthetically note that Kain, Kenjirô, Hinagiku, Erika, Mai, Momo, Akari and Kiami were all part of that group—whether for their own personal reasons, the money, or simply the desire to avoid the wrath of Alyssa, they were all part of it.

"Now will the competitors come forward to draw lots!" the announcer commanded. "We will divide the contestants into eight groups of twenty for a battle royale to determine who qualifies for the tournament! The second round and true tournament starts on the Festival's second day at 8 AM! The qualifying round starts…now!"

The last two standing in each of the eight groups would be the qualifiers—our heroes took their lots and separated into their groups. Kiami and Erika ended up in group D.

"No one else I recognize," Kiami remarked. "So I won't have to fight you today, _Fukukaichô_. Unless you'd like to leave…?"

"No…I'm not thrilled about this, but…I have my own reasons for wanting to see this tournament through a ways. But I'll be happy to sign a truce with you for this round."

Kiami wasn't one prone to fighting back-to-back, so she dispersed at the sound of the bell, using varied means to throw their competitors onto the ground and out of the ring. She used substitution _jutsu_ at will to confuse her opponents, moving constantly out of sight, and seemed especially delighted with causing multiple enemies to inflict wounds on each other while pursuing her. Erika resorted to more normal martial arts, fighting off those who came at her.

"In Group D we have two members of the academy's legendary Martial Arts Mastery Society! Tsukimori Kiami moves like a ninja, defying all common sense as she baffles her foes with trickery! And the dazzling _fukukaichô_ of the girls' middle school, Sendô Erika, despite her beautiful and almost fragile appearance, is taking down her foes with ease! She's like a raging gorilla! Don't get her angry!"

But Nanami's taunting praise was in direct contradiction to her own advice. "Aren't you being incredibly rude, Jinnai-_san_!?" she demanded in fury as she took down another attacker with even greater ferocity than before.

Nevertheless, several young men from Mahora's boys' middle school, lying on the ground in dazed pain, declared their devotion to the 'raging gorilla'…and the piles of victims to the two deadly beauties grew.

"As expected," Kain laughed. "Even without their true powers, no normal person can match up to them…."

"All well and good, but it's almost our turn," Kenjirô remarked, pulling out two round pills. "Eat up, so we can compete."

"Eh? Oh, is that the age-deceiving pill from Alyssa? We don't need that anymore, Kenjirô-_kun_. There's no age limit in Sakura-_san_'s tournament, after all."

Kenjirô shrugged. "Well, that's true, but you were the one who was worried about things being exposed. You could avoid attention this way…not to mention that an older body will have an advantage in strength and reach, however slight."

"Well, you're right…but my father won this tournament when he was even younger than I am. It seems disingenuous to try and wriggle for other advantages…."

Kenjirô considered this, and pocketed the pills with a smile. "Fine—well said. Let's do this proper, then. We'll show these adults not to underestimate kids like us."

"Group E contestants gather! Group E!"

"That's my cue," Kenjirô said. He pointed at Kain. "My goal is to defeat you, Kain-_kun_…make sure you don't lose until we face each other."

"Likewise, Kenjirô-_kun_," he replied, bowing, and headed away as Group B was called.

Kiami and Erika had finished their competition off, and once her victory was announced, Erika fled the stage to find and chastise Nanami.

"Did I really think I had a chance at winning 10 million?" Mai sighed. "It looks impossible with this level of competition…."

"But right now, you're actually on the level of the strongest ones here," Momo assured her. "You've come a long way on the road to strength in the magical realm…as much as you might not like the idea."

"That's right…there's nothing to be ashamed of," Hinagiku agreed. "I never thought you cared much for battles and such things, Mai-_san_, but obviously your time knowing Kain-_sensei_'s secret has been well-spent. Even after the very short time I've been a part of that world, I can tell—no, maybe I can sense—this 'inner world' is certainly very different."

"Maybe." Mai sighed again, then turned back to Momo. "But what about you? I didn't think proving your strength in a tournament like this would matter to you. Or are you just trying to avoid Alyssa-_chan_'s wrath?"

"Ah, well…in truth, there's something about this that bothers me, and I want to see it through. In order to investigate, it will be easier for me to be a participant…and easier to act if anything happens."

"Investigate?" Hinagiku demanded. "_Anything_? What are you talking about, Momo-_chan_?"

"Ah…that's right, you haven't really heard…it's about Sakura-_san_…."

Meanwhile, Nanami began to announce the impressive individuals of other starting groups. "What's this? Group E seems to have a dangerous combatant…."

"I-is that a real sword?"

"Look, kid, you shouldn't play with toys like that…."

"Isn't that completely cheap, using a sword!? This is supposed to be a martial arts tournament, isn't it!?"

"Group E's Hanatabi Kenjirô seems to have a real sword in his possession! As a reminder, there is no restriction on weapons in this tournament—all forms of combat are permitted! It is only forbidden to critically injure your opponents, so just make sure you know what you're doing!"

This official announcement didn't do much to assuage the sensitivities of the grumbling fighters. They warily turned back to Kenjirô, who smiled widely at them. He suddenly hurled his sword up into the air. The fighters stared at the blade as it turned end over end in the air, then began to fall. Kenjirô held his arm straight out…right into the falling weapon's path. The blade came across his arm, falling on it perfectly and sliding to the ground…and burying itself, point first, a foot deep into the arena floor. Kenjirô drew the sword again and gave a vigorous slash. "A true swordsman knows how to control his blade," he intoned. "If you're afraid of my sword, then you might as well run away now…I don't want to waste my time with weaklings who are afraid of being cut."

The fighters stared at the boy nervously, but a new figure attracted their attention. "Well, now that that's out of the way," Akari said brightly, "shall we start fighting?"

The group reacted to her appearance in much the same way as they reacted to Kenjirô's sword. Nervousness seemed to dominate them. "Akari-_san_…" Kenjirô murmured. "So you're here in this battle as well?"

"That's right. I would enjoy the chance at fighting you again, but I'd prefer it to be in the regular tournament. Shall we refrain from fighting until then?"

Kenjirô smiled. "I do owe you a rematch…but I agree, I don't want others interfering in this fight. Let's go."

Yukari, who had finally been joined by Kazumi and Matake, happily cheered Kenjirô on as the battle began. The two swiftly began to dispatch those around them, Akari with her usual martial arts, and Kenjirô with his naked blade…his strikes put down his opponents without leaving a cut upon their body.

"Truly amazing! Hanatabi's sword doesn't leave a mark! Is it real? Regardless, it's effective! But he's not even the most impressive warrior in his bracket! Heiro Akari, the reigning UltiMahora champion, is completely unstoppable! A master of jeet kune do, _jûjutsu_, American boxing, Krav Maga, capoeira, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, she seems like the ultimate warrior!

"And now Group B is getting ready for action! There's a foreigner boy with a unique appearance! What's with that white cloak—does he think he's at a cosplay party?"

Indeed, several of the older fighters were laughing at the young man, but he merely smiled at them. He gave a bow from _jûjutsu_ etiquette, and then readied himself.

One large man moved towards him. "Sorry, Kid, this isn't a child's playroom…I'll send you away now…."

He moved to grab Kain, but the younger man simply retaliated by grappling his arm and immediately throwing him. This move brought Kain a little bit of respect…and a few more opponents. These, too, he began to dispatch with ease.

_('As I thought…after all the training I've done, fighters of this caliber aren't any problem, even if I don't use magic….')_

"Oh, this just in! That American boy is Akari-_senshu_'s best pupil!"

"She really knows how to work the crowd, doesn't she?" Kagome giggled to Kamo.

"Kain-_sensei_'s come a long way," Akari noted as she and Kenjirô enjoyed a lull in their fighting.

"That's right," Kenjirô agreed. "He's finally got himself mentally prepared for the fight. I can't wait to match up with him in a proper duel…."

Most of their opponents were already defeated, but one new challenger hailed Akari. "Akari-_buchô_!" The two turned to surprise.

Dressed in his full _bôgu_, all save the helmet, a young man, high school age, with a _bokken_ in his hands, presented himself to the girl. "The _Kendô_ Club will not lose to the Martial Arts Mastery Society this time. I will defeat you today, Akari-_buchô_!"

"This guy is…?" Kenjirô asked.

"A worthy foe. I defeated him last year at UltiMahora, too. A moment, please."

She walked slowly towards her foe, and bowed to him.

"The _Kendô_ Club has challenged Heiro Akari to a duel! Will the little girl really be a match for a man with a wooden sword…?"

Nanami's declaration was barely over before the fight itself was. Akari dashed in and sent her opponent flying out of the ring, his _bokken_ shattered from the blow.

"Well, let that be a lesson to you all: in this battle, weapons offer no major advantage! This is the world you have entered!"

Momo and Hinagiku, as part of Group C, entered the ring. Hinagiku brandished her _shinai_. "This should be enough to deal with the likes of these," she noted, giving it a good practice swing. "What about you, Momo-_chan_? Will you be fine like that?"

"Eh? Like what? Oh, you mean in my _gigai_?" Momo pinched her shirt instinctively, even though the uniform was not the vessel she wore she was referring to. "I should be all right like this. I only have a normal girl's strength and speed like this, but even if I'm not the best swordsman in the Seireitei, I should have more than enough to deal with ordinary humans."

"What about a weapon? I'm afraid I don't have a spare _shinai_…."

Momo held her hands, palms up, in front of her, and her _zanpaku-tô_, complete with scabbard, appeared in her hands. "I'll make do with a sheathed sword," she said.

And how did the pair 'make do'?

"Group C is being dominated by a pair of middle school girls! Members of the _Kendô_ Club, Middle School Student Council President Katsura Hinagiku and her more demure and unremarkable classmate, Hinamori Momo, are laying waste to any who oppose them! This is rather remarkable! It's a Hina-Hina Girl Power special!"

"Nanami-_san_ likes rubbing people the wrong way," Momo murmured as she knocked another opponent out.

"Just ignore it," Hinagiku replied. "She's just entertaining the crowd."

"And Hinagiku-_kaichô_ shows her brutish tomboy power, the exact opposite of her more feminine and well-endowed _fukukaichô_. Hinagiku-_kaichô_, _banzai_!"

Hinagiku froze and began to tremble. "Jinnai-_san_…."

"Just ignore her, Hinagiku-_san_, it's just entertainment for the crowd…."

Nanami turned her attention to Group F. "Another swordsman is making his mark in Group F, but the real story is the famed teacher, 'Death Glasses' Takahata, who is present in this battle. He's…just what is he doing?"

Indeed, everyone was falling around him…without him apparently doing anything.

"Takahata-_sensei_…w-what did you do?" demanded one young man from the _Karate_ Club as he collapsed.

"I apologize," was Takamichi's only reply. "Please, go and train yourself harder."

"What on earth is _he _doing?" Hinagiku muttered, glancing over. "I can't even see anything happening."

One of the foes in the ring with him observed him with respect more than amazement. "Quite some skill, Takahata-_sensei_," Hikaru Tsukino commented. "You are quite as impressive as my masters. It shall be interesting to see you in the ring."

"Oh?" Takamichi smiled at him. "You don't want to try your luck now, Tsukino-_kun_?"

"We'll have two victors here. There's no need. As others have observed, some fights are best left out of this free-for-all." He swung his _bokken_ behind him and took down another fighter who was approaching from his flank.

Kain sent another combatant flying with a well-placed punch. "Only a few left," he commented. "Almost there…."

"There you are, Kain-_kun_!"

Kain flinched at the sound of the outcry. "Is that…?" he began, turning slowly to face….

Yukiji Katsura. "Ho, you're pretty good," she commented. "But I won't let you stand in the way of my earning that ten million yen! Prepare yourself." She took up a fighting stance…and then began to sway strangely, her motions large and exaggerated.

Kain stared in shock. "Eh? Is that…?"

"Hmm…the famous drunken fist. No surprise, from that teacher."

Kain started and glanced behind him at the presence that was now standing over him. He was tall and wrapped in a black cloak, his face completely obscured. "Don't look away," the man cautioned Kain. "She's focused on you. She's a fellow teacher and, at that, a woman…can you go all-out in order to beat her, Kain-_kun_?"

Kain was unsure of the motives of this strange newcomer, but he seemed to be issuing no threat, while Yukiji was indeed focused on him. He turned back to face her. "Can I go all-out against her…?"

He thought about the matter. He had not suffered at her hands as a certain butler-in-debt might have, but he recalled her initial assault on him, and a few other encounters the author never bothered to talk about, including a particular adventure during the skipped athletics festival. "Actually, I think I can," he remarked.

"Here I come!" And with a cry, indeed, the cry of the drunkard, the older woman came hurtling in….

And Kain called upon all his speed. He rushed in to meet her, touched her on the forehead, and then swept past. She stood, frozen, for several seconds before toppling to the ground like a springy-limbed tree.

"And that's that…." Kain looked around and noticed that there was no one else standing besides him and the mysterious man in black. "And that's it?"

"We're nearly at the end of the tournament! That's fourteen fighters who have triumphed…only Group H still has fighters remaining! And standing out the most is Tokiha Mai! Known before mostly for being the leader in the 3rd Grade's 'Biggest Breasts' competition, she's making a case for herself as a fighter, too!"

"How did I get talked into this?" Mai moaned as she flushed at this comment. "Did I _ever_ think I actually had a chance at this?" _('Still,') _she continued in the privacy of her own mind, _('this is surprising…I can't believe how easy this is….')_

As the members of 'Kain's Party' had practiced magic, Mai had been reluctant to engage in the spell-casting…she just felt uncomfortable with it, as if using it would destroy the last vestiges of her 'normalcy'. However, the flow of magic came easily to her, and over the course of her own training she had instinctively learned to use enhancement magic to boost her own capabilities—after all, it was similar in nature to the power of the contract working on her, and she'd already had more experience with that than she'd liked. She wasn't the natural genius that Kain was, and, even working as hard as she had with Erika, she had not truly learned any great level of martial arts. However, as she called upon that magic power, she found herself more than a match for these various fighters, warriors and martial artists.

Finally only one young man was left staring at Mai. She panted as she glanced around, utterly amazed that she had made it this far.

"The sixteenth finalist has been decided!" Nanami crowed. "Thank you all for participating in this auspicious event! The Main Event starts tomorrow morning at 8 AM! Prepare to see fighting the likes of which have not come for a generation!"

The victors gathered together. Kain and Kenjirô congratulated each other, Kiami, Akari, and Hikaru acknowledged their victories, Takamichi joined the group, Erika helped pull the still-shaking Mai into the party, and Hinagiku and Momo vanished their weapons. Kamo, still perched on Kagome's shoulder, chortled as she moved to congratulate them all. "Nearly half of the champions are members of our class…."

"I'm not sure if I like the idea of that," Mai sighed. "That almost guarantees I'll have to fight one of you next…."

Nanami, who had disappeared inside the main house for a few minutes, finally emerged. "Well," she announced, "the results of the draw for tomorrow's matches will now be revealed. And here they are!"

The group stared in shock at the revealed names…for the ease of a picture-less document setup, presented as a match-up text-based map….

Round 1

(1) – Mei Sakura vs. Kenjirô Hanatabi

(2) – Rin Tôsaka vs. James Bond

(3) – Kiami Tsukimori vs. Tatsuya Makimura

(4) – Erika Sendô vs. Akari Heiro

(5) – Hinagiku Katsura vs. Tear Grants

(6) – Kain Lockeheart vs. Takamichi T. Takahata

(7) – Mai Tokiha vs. Momo Hinamori

(8) – Hikaru Tsukino vs. Keiichi Ichijoji

Round 2

(9) – Winner of (1) vs. Winner of (2)

(10) – Winner of (3) vs. Winner of (4)

(11) – Winner of (5) vs. Winner of (6)

(12) – Winner of (7) vs. Winner of (8)

Round 3 (Semi-Final)

(13) – Winner of (9) vs. Winner of (10)

(14) – Winner of (11) vs. Winner of (12)

Round 4 (Final)

(15) – Winner of (13) vs. Winner of (14)

Winner of (15) – Champion

"T-T-T-Takamichi!?" Kain groaned. "Immediately…?"

"Not the only interesting thing to see, either," Kamo noted. "Some of those names…."

He indicated a few. Kain finally paid attention to them. "Wait…Tear Grants…Sakura Mei…and Tôsaka Rin…those are…."

"That's right, Kain-_sensei_." Tear and her two associates moved through the crowd and stood before the child-teacher…Tear and Rin imperiously, Mei flanking them nervously. "From the look of that bracket, it may be pointless, but you won't get through this tournament without trouble."

"But…why are you here?" Kenjirô demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" the girl replied. "To discipline you, of course, Kain-_sensei_!"

Kain stared at her, confused. "Eh?"

"You took the side of the criminal, Sanada Sakura, standing up for her despite the trouble she's been causing. Now she's holding this suspect tournament. And what else do we find when we investigate this tournament? A half-dozen of your students who shouldn't know any better, blatantly working magic and defeating skilled martial artists! Not to mention what you pulled earlier today, on those several occasions…something strange is going on here at this Festival, and yet you blatantly, selfishly are just doing as you please! Well, teacher or not, I'm not going to sit by and watch this nonsense continue. We're going to make sure you're properly punished!"

"As Tear said, it's a shame we won't get to face you ourselves," Rin added, smiling somewhat viciously. "Still, it'll be entertaining to see Takahata-_sensei_ punish you tomorrow. Until then." With this, the three turned and walked away.

Kain stared after them and sighed. "This is getting more and more complicated," he muttered. "Just a little tournament for a proper duel, eh, Kenjirô?"

"Heh. I don't care. This is finally something interesting. I'm going to enjoy every minute of it."

_Author's Note: Character Introduction: Hikaru Tsukino_

_ Yue has her most significant personal screen time in a while…and officially joins Kain's Fan Club in a scenario that once again was nearly completely ripped from Negima. And once again, the main adjustment was his…lack of child status, and her consideration of that situation._

_ Yue is actually a lot like Hinagiku, at least when it comes to romance...and in a situation Mai also found herself in, although to a lesser degree. Supporting a friend in her pursuit of her love, she realizes that she has fallen for the same boy and (rather wrongfully) assumes that she is the lowest of the low, a despicable traitor for daring to have feelings for that same boy. Her overreaction is extreme, but for her there is no greater crime than this betrayal of her best and truest friend. We'll see more about this later, during the next day's festivities._

_ Kain is in the middle of his third trip through the day, and is about to see just how much trouble all this time travel can cause…although it will allow him to tend to his entire class, which is what he wanted in the first place. So, he'll finish up the day's activities with his fourth run through it._

_ And so begins the tournament which will, with its associated subplots and behind-the-scenes events, take up the majority of Act 5. In fact, in my mullings over the progression of the Festival, I've decided on this course: Day One (and the various events leading up to the Festival) will be covered in Act 4. Act 5 will consist of the events of Day 2, and the finale—Day 3, and related events—will be Act 6._

_ The tournament begins largely as it did in Negima, but with a few more differences and arrangements due to my characters—the usual, really. Significantly, Eva decided to compete in the original, but I decided against having her replacement, Alyssa, join. I just didn't feel she'd take that sort of plunge. Besides, as much as she enjoys teasing those in the know, she's quite fond of her image as a demure little girl amongst the general population. She's more a watcher than a participant here. Besides, I have plenty enough new characters in the tournament to take her place. Adding a third regular to the school party aiming at Kain gives us Tear, Rin and Mei as opposed to just Takane and Mei. Replacing Ku Fei and Kaede with Akari and Kiami gives us Hikaru in addition (see below). And, of course, I also have Hinagiku here, and there isn't a person she's replacing in the line. There are a few other positional shifts that would matter largely only to those who are well-versed in the main story, particularly in this pre-tournament._

_ Now, as I mentioned in the introduction to Akari and Kiami, they are taken directly from my 'Kenichi' GURPS campaign, and I even left them members of the same elite dôjôs_, _so it made sense to include Hikaru Tsukino, the third child from the third dôjô. A swordsman, Hikaru nevertheless trains, like his fellows, in all the arts of his particular dôjô—_aikijûjutsu, taekwondo, _Shaolin kung fu, savate, and _kenjutsu_. His chosen specialty is _iaijutsu_, the art of drawing the sword, striking, and then sheathing all in one swift motion. An honorable young man, he pursues the art of war with the dream of being able to be a so-called 'ally of justice'. He's a minor character in this work, but perhaps he will get his wish…._

_ Now, onward to conclude the first day…and Act 4!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer__: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors)._

Chapter Six: Once More into the Breach

Over the course of the fighting, Yue had to excuse herself for a reading with the Children's Literature Research Society, but she returned before the finish. Now she joined Kazumi, Matake, Yukari and Kagome in congratulating their classmates on their success.

"What an incredible tournament…with a prize of 10 million yen?" Yukari remarked.

"I guess with this, the odds of our class earning 10 million is pretty good, wouldn't you say?" Matake agreed lightheartedly.

The fighters weren't so sure. "Momo, right off the bat?" Mai sighed. "Oh well, at least I won't have to struggle very long with this senseless debacle…."

"Don't dismiss it too quickly," Momo soothed her. "It'll be a good chance to put your training into practice, see how far you've come. Besides, I'm not sure how well I'll do tournament-wise, as well…."

"First round with Erika-_fukukaichô_…I'm looking forward to it," Akari said brightly. "Maybe I'll finally get to see your real strength."

"I don't know…I'm not really prone to fighting with all my strength in something like this…."

And Kain turned his attention back to his first opponent…to him, all the other names were inconsequential. "First round, Takamichi…" he sighed again.

Takamichi smiled at him. "I look forward to tomorrow, Kain-_kun_. Please go easy on me."

It was mostly one of the Japanese formalities, but Kain took the words seriously—after all, there were many he could have chosen for such a comment. "Quit teasing me like that," he pleaded. "You know I'm still no match for you!"

"Hahaha…we won't know until we try."

Yue approached her former teacher. "After this, we'll be having the finishing party for Day One. Does Takahata-_sensei_ want to join us, too?"

"Oh, is that okay?" he asked earnestly.

The class, with Takamichi, Kenjirô, and Hikaru in tow, headed off to the meeting point for their party. There, the rest of the class greeted them.

The various students hailed Kain very enthusiastically. "Kain-_sensei_! Thanks for all your help and hard work today!"

"We know it was…troublesome, but we appreciated you even giving time to our little club," Miki informed him with a surprising amount of earnestness.

"Eh? Ah…."

"Thanks to Kain-_sensei_'s help, the diner made a great amount of money today, too," Kanade crowed. "Well done!"

"Thanks for visiting the Track Club!" Kaoru put in. "It was great to see you there."

The other class members all joined in one-by-one, thanking Kain for visiting each of their clubs. Kain's head was spinning after a minute of this.

_"Kamo-_kun_…this is…."_ he whispered to his companion, who had migrated back to his shoulder.

"R-right…we've got our work cut out for us still…."

Then, of all people, Chisame appeared and took her turn to speak with him. She appeared far more nervous and fidgety than usual. "Uh, umm…excuse me, Kain-_sensei_…."

"A-ah…yes, Hasegawa-_san_?"

"About today…umm…you really won't tell anyone about it, right?"

"Ah…n-no, of course not…."

Then the more agitated Chisame surfaced, and she leaned in close to whisper, "Really, don't tell anyone! I'm serious! You promised, after all!"

"N-no! I won't! Really!"

Apparently satisfied, Chisame finally excused herself.

"I don't remember any of this," Kain muttered to himself. "This means…."

"Weeeelll, Kain-_kun_," Takamichi remarked pleasantly. "It seems you not only handled the tournament, and I also hear you did well on your patrols…and you even managed to tend to all of your students today. Very impressive."

"Ah…no, not at all…." _I haven't been to any of them yet, after all, except for that…date…._

As the class gathered to begin the actual party, Kain snuck away, with Kenjirô at his side. "So, you're going to use that time machine thing to make your rounds now?"

"Yeah…I better…that's what it's for, after all, and if I don't…who knows what paradox might do. We'll just have to put the party on hold for now. I still have all these appointments to fulfill."

"Okay, time for Round Four then," Kamo agreed. "Hopefully, the last one, at least for today."

Kenjirô nodded. "Hey, Kain, can I come too? I'd like to look around the Festival with you."

Kain shrugged. "Sure, why not? Stand close."

He removed the egg, opened it, and adjusted the controls. "Here we go…Time Jump!"

The morning of the first day of the Festival, 11:30 AM. The fourth time around for Kain through the Festival.

This time they manifested out of view of anyone…mostly by a matter of luck, because in the thronged Festival, anyone could be anywhere at any point in time, and with no way to see 'where'—if that is the right word—they would end up, it was entirely up to luck.

And, of course, Kain himself was now not anywhere but any four wheres. Kenjirô observed their surroundings, quite impressed.

"Amazing. It's really morning…so we've really gone back?"

"Yeah, take it from me, Kiddo," Kamo assured him. "We've done this before. So, now what? And are you sure you want to go out like that, Kain?"

Kain still had his cloak on. "Probably for the best. The only thing I've done without it is go out with Nodoka. It makes me identifiable, but it's also uniquely…me, so it won't throw people off. I should be fine.

"To answer your first question…I'd first like to help out the class' little diner. Let's go!"

Mai, Kanade, Hinagiku, Erika, Kagome, Kazumi, Yukari, Rei, Yuki and Rakasu were present at the time that Kain and Kenjirô showed up. "Eh?" Hinagiku asked in surprise. "You want to help out?"

"Are you all right now?" Mai queried earnestly. "You just went to the nurse's office a little while ago…and where's Momo?"

_('Ah, that's right…this is Mai before she found out about the time-traveling. The last anyone saw, I had been taken off for overeating…and Momo….')_

"Momo's been taken away for a while for school business by some of the teachers," he lied glibly. "As for me, I'm fine. Sakura-_san_'s tea did wonders for me. So, how can I help?"

He soon went to work in the kitchen, showing surprising aptitude for cooking. Kenjirô was set to waiting tables.

Kain _was_ skilled, attentive, and quite able with his cooking, but Mai, observing him as they worked beside each other, noted that he seemed rather tired. "Are you really all right, Kain-_sensei_?" she asked quietly.

"Hmm? What? I'm fine, really. Got a lot to do today, but I think I'll manage."

"Is that so…well, don't push yourself too hard. You know that's your worst habit."

"I know, I know…."

He spent some time there before deciding it was time to start visiting the various activities of his students.

And it seemed Hinagiku and Erika were getting off at the same time.

"Where are you two off to?" Kain asked politely.

"Oh, we're planning to visit the various clubs to make sure that they have everything they need," Erika explained. "As the _kaichô_ and _fukukaichô_ of the girls' middle school, the students of this school are our first priority, after all."

"Ah, why don't we go around together?" Kain offered brightly. "It'll be good to show our combined support to our class members, right?"

"Eh? I-I suppose…" Hinagiku quavered.

Kenjirô snorted. "Now I think I see how you get into such girl trouble, Kain-_kun_. Do you _intend _to be a Don Juan, or something?"

As Kain blushed, Hinagiku growled, "_Kenjirô-_san_…._"

Erika actually giggled. "Kenjirô-_san_, Hina…it seems you two get along quite well…."

Neither of the two seemed very impressed by that comment.

The first club they visited was the 'Movie Study Club' and its unique building…a completely circular building that had, to Kain's eyes, a rather high-tech appearance. The architecture had no function, but it _looked_ high-tech.

"What's this about?" Kain asked, pointing.

"Don't ask me," Hinagiku replied. "This was designed according to the founder's taste, a _enpai_ who graduated a while ago. Let's go in…."

"Kain-_sensei_? So you've actually come to visit us." Miki seemed genuinely impressed. "And even Hina and Eririn. And…him."

Miki apparently didn't know what to make of Kenjirô, and Kenjirô seemed to feel mutually on that score, and didn't deign to reply.

"We didn't think you'd really come visit us here," Izumi enthused. "This isn't exactly the most remarkable club…."

"Still, it's good you came," Riza added. "We can work on some great movies together…."

"Work on some movies together?" Kain asked, interested. "You mean you make movies here at the Movie Study Club?"

He observed the contents of the room; this was indeed a high-class Mahora club, as the equipment was all first-rate…Kain was no expert on electronics, but he figured that it would take a standard salary man years to earn enough to purchase the contents of the club….

"So, with all this equipment, you must film your own movies, right?" he asked.

"What?" was Riza's reply.

"No, not really," Miki added. "We don't film any movies here."

Izumi laughed. "Really, how could we do such a difficult thing?"

"…Then what do you do?" Kain asked.

"That's obvious!" the trio enthused together. "Just as the name suggests, the 'Movie Study Club' studies film and movies! We compile funny and original media from all ages and countries and laugh at it!"

"In other words, it's just an excuse to kill time," Hinagiku finished in disgust.

This actually struck something inside of Kain, and he identified with it. "Yes, but it's like 'MST3K' or something? That's a little trite, true, but I suppose it's amusing in its own right…."

"Kain-_sensei_'s actually interested in it?" Erika asked cautiously.

"I'm not into…most casual forms of entertainment," Kenjirô noted. "Still, this isn't a terrible idea."

"Oho," Riza chuckled. "Then, since you've come to investigate during this busy Festival, would you like to take a look at what we do? All the high schoolers graduated so the membership is low."

"This club was originally founded to film cute girls," Miki noted, "but it's changed after the founder graduated. We have prepared a presentation for the Festival."

"We actually do have some movies we've been editing for it," Izumi concluded. "It should be enough to make some memories."

"I suppose we should see it, then," Hinagiku sighed.

"Yes," Kain agreed cheerfully. "Go ahead and show us."

"Okay, here we go…."

The club's pride and joy was a massive entertainment system on the northern section of wall, with a digital flat screen measured in feet rather than inches and a computer workstation under it that looked like it, too, was taken from a major sci-fi movie. Miki pushed one small button on the massive control panel….

And the screen came to life, showing Kain and Kazumi making their way around a museum. Miki's voice was broadcast: "Oh, Negi-_sensei_, this is such a boring date! But it honestly doesn't matter, because just being with you gets my heart racing faster than a horror movie!"

"I feel the same way, Makie-_chan_," came Riza's voice, in a deep pseudo-male attempt. "My love for you is like…."

"Rejected," Erika growled, silencing the machine by hitting the 'delete' key.

"Ah, our precious hard work," Riza moaned.

"H-h-how did you get that footage!?" Kain screeched, red-faced. "And furthermore, why the voices?"

"What's the big deal? It's lots of fun," Miki noted. "You even missed the best lines…."

"Anyway, we have cameras here and there," Riza informed him, apparently recovering quickly. "It's just like at Mouseland and such," she added, referencing the 2006 Disneyland Paris scandal.

"You shouldn't take such scenes! You shouldn't!"

"Well, then how about this?" Miki pressed a button on a remote she held.

This time the scene was Kain, holding Hinagiku, walking her out to the balcony of the Student Council Building's top floor. "Now, Hinata, let me show you a scene as dazzling as your smile…" came Riza's false masculine voice.

Izumi's cheerful voice replied. "N-no, Hayate-_kun_, I'm not ready! I am still a fearful maiden! This world…."

"This one was given to us anonymously," Miki explained as the group stared in utter horror and shock. "We don't know what it's about, and there was no original audio, but it's an incredibly interesting scene…."

The screen cut to black as a disc suddenly shot out, and Hinagiku smashed it with her _shinai_. She turned a bright, wide, deadly smile at the three members of the Movie Study Club. "Oops," she said in a sing-song voice. "My hand slipped…."

"Er…" the three said as one.

"As usual, it's good to see you're having fun together," Hinagiku continued, every word slicing the air like the scythe of Death. "Really, I think I've been neglecting your fun here. I guess I'll have to come visit more often to see just how much fun you're having, won't I…?"

"N-no, that's not necessary…."

Kain, Hinagiku, Erika and Kenjirô finally exited, trying not to listen to the final exchange….

Miki: "I'll guess we'll just have to go back to surprising Izumi and filming her while she's changing."

Izumi: "M-Miki-_chan_! No! You can't do that!"

"They're…as lively as ever," Kain sighed.

"I'm trying _not_ to think of you as a playboy, Kain, really," Kenjirô commented. "But every time I turn around, I see evidence of you fraternizing with your students…."

"That's not it!" Kain and Hinagiku declared together, both red-faced.

Kamo was sitting on Kenjirô's shoulder now, laughing heartily. "Ah, you kids are too much. Why so uptight? You _are_ still kids, after all…enjoy life a bit more! Stop worrying about 'looking cool' and 'being proper' and all that. Not saying you should go crazy, but you could loosen up…."

Erika was staring at the rodent. "Kamo-_kun_…the anonymous contributor of that second video…wouldn't happen to have been you, was it…?"

Kamo froze, just for a fraction of a second, but long enough for Kain and Hinagiku as their gazes swiveled to him. "Kamo…."

"Whoops! Well, I'm out!"

"KAMO!"

Too late; he had vanished.

A trip to the Tea Ceremony Club revealed Rei, Alyssa, and Sakura, and the four shared a ceremony together with them. To Kain's surprise, even Kenjirô seemed perfectly calm and considerate of the ritual. He also learned something surprising.

"Sakura-_chan_ doesn't use any normal teas," Hinagiku informed him. "She refuses to drink them, oddly. She prepares her own herbal and fruits teas, often her own unique recipes. It's a little strange, but we've grown used to it."

"Most people don't realize how nasty the acids in modern drinks are," Sakura informed him in reply. "Soda pop has its own, and I don't drink those either, but despite their other beneficial drugs, true coffees and teas have a nasty acid, tannic acid and/or tannins, in them; I can't drink those. Of course, in a culture like Japan, where tea is a standard social drink, it's a difficult opinion to hold, and I'm grateful that my classmates and club members have been understanding of my preferences…."

Following the tea club were visits to the Track Club to see Kaoru, and she enthusiastically ran a few sprints for them; the Lacrosse Club, where Riku Harada was surprised but apparently pleased to see the group; and the Volleyball Club, where Matake happily greeted the foursome. The Art Club yielded a collection of paintings, and Yukari, who was present, proudly presented her work. A visit to the Robotics Development Society led to a demonstration of some rather amazing inventions by Caria, helped by Miyu…and they spotted Sakura there again, waving briefly at them as she passed by the main room in the middle of some errand.

"What are the odds she's been using some similar sort of time travel all this time to handle all her clubs' responsibilities?" Kenjirô offered.

More continued on this whirlwind tour, and the Philosophy Club presented a discourse led by Yue. Kenjirô found himself lost, but Kain delightedly dove in, and the superwomen _kaichô _and _fukukaichô_ seemed more than able to hold their own. During the discussion, Kain was reminded that this was the Yue that had not yet met him and discussed his…romantic difficulties with him. Seeing the past version of her brought some…slight contentment to him….

They met Ami at the Chess Club, and Kain shared a surprisingly difficult speed-chess game with her, that she narrowly won. She also reminded Kain not to forget his date with Nodoka…a thought that he tried not to laugh at….

The next truly interesting event was a visit to the Fortune-Telling Club. Risa Harada was there, of course…as was, to Kain's surprise, Yuki Nagato.

"Nagato-_san_? Why are you here?"

She had a tent set up in the room that served as the Fortune-Telling Club's headquarters, along with the other various members. She was seated before a crystal ball and was dressed with a wide-brimmed witch's hat and a dark cloak. She did not reply to Kain's question, but merely stared up at him, blinking occasionally. He was, sadly, somewhat used to this reaction.

"Oh, Yuki-_san_…volunteered to help us," Risa explained. "We were behind schedule for getting all our preparations in time, and so she helped us out. So, we decided to give her a place to tell fortunes with too. Her predictions are…interesting…."

Hinagiku, Erika, and Kenjirô all politely asked Risa to tell their fortunes, while Kain decided to risk Yuki's 'interesting' predictions. "So, Nagato-_san_…can you tell me my fortune?" he asked as he seated himself in front of her.

Yuki nodded, looked at her ball and cupped her hands over it—she had the acting portion of the fortune-teller down. She stared into her glass and intoned in her rare, quiet, calm and neutral voice far more than she had ever spoken before:

"At 1:31 PM, you will exit this room and head towards the Martial Arts Mastery Society. At the same time, you will be sleeping in the nurse's office alongside Hinamori Momo. You will also be in your room with Hinamori Momo, Higurashi Kagome and Tokiha Mai, examining clothes. You will also be patrolling near the World Tree with Tsukai Kajirô. At 1:38 you will arrive at the Martial Arts Mastery Society and meet the masters of the 'Three Schools' of Yokohama. At 1:57 you will leave your room with your three students to go shopping for other clothes…."

Kain stared at her, dumb-founded, as she continued to methodically explain everything he had/would accomplish in the near future/recent past…all calmly…all without any sign that she found anything she was saying unusual.

"…At 4:12 PM you will depart alongside Miyazaki Nodoka, and meanwhile will run into Ayase Yue, who will seek to redirect you to Miyazaki Nodoka who will be walking alongside you…."

"I-I think that's enough, Nagato-_san_," Kain forestalled her, holding up a hand. "That will suffice. You have certainly…given me a lot to think about…."

"What did she say to you, Kain-_sensei_?" Hinagiku queried after they had made their necessary obligations and departed. "You seem positively spooked…."

"N-no, it's nothing." He waved the question away. "Well, next…to the Martial Arts Mastery Society…."

All thoughts of the future fled from Kain's mind as he felt the spirit—the _ki_—that filled the large _dôjô_ that served as the headquarters for the mysterious 'Martial Arts Mastery Society'.

There were about a dozen students spread around the _dôjô_, all impressive in their own right, but scattered amongst them were fifteen adults—and these were the source of the life-threatening _ki_ as they turned to regard him upon his entrance.

Kain had faced a demon princess, a vampire matriarch, a near-invincible gynoid, and an unstoppable golem-mage, but never did he feel death reigning over him as much as he did at this time, with those stares leveled at him. He knew that they possessed no magic, but he could see the auras rising off of them as they turned their full attention to him….

He was saved from this collection of death-stares by Akari, who ran up to him rather gleefully. "Kain-_sensei_!" she said with delight. "You came! Thank you! It's good to see you!"

"Yes, and _kaichô_ as well," Kiami agreed, following her at her more placid place. "And the boy swordsman, Kenjirô-_san_. And, of course, we welcome our part-time member, Eririn."

"F-forgive my truancy," Erika muttered, reddening, as she bowed.

"So…you are the famous Kain Lockeheart-_sensei_." Kain turned to this new voice and his eyes widened in recognition as Hikaru approached, dressed in a light _samurai_'s _kimono_ with a _bokken_ tucked into his sash. "I am pleased to finally make your acquaintance. Tsukino Hikaru. I must admit, you are even more impressive in person. To be fully subjected to the killing intent of fifteen masters at once and still stand…your presence is remarkable."

"Ah…no, not at all," Kain insisted, slowly translating his remark. He was new to the concepts of _ki_ and the world of martial arts mastery, but he had heard all these terms before and was coming to grips with the lingo. "I nearly fainted the minute I entered…." But he was in danger of that no longer—the intense aura of the fifteen had subsided.

"Yes, and any normal person would have. You have passed a major test already, Kain-_sensei_."

Now that the suffocating threat of death had subsided, Kain was able to sweep his eyes over the crowd and catalogue these fifteen 'masters' a bit more closely. Kain instantly took them all in, each one, despite their varied appearances, equally imposing. A few stood out larger-than-life, especially the massive Caucasian, hairless except for the single lock of blond hair that hung from his forehead and his massive blond mustache, and the enormous _sumotori_, dressed in a sumo wrestler's _kimono_ and champion's topknot, known as an _ôichô_. A few were remarkable for seeming out of place amongst champion warriors, such as the beautiful Japanese lady, dressed in a fine lady's _kimono_ similar to the one Sakura seemed to favor. There were many foreigners, including several Chinese, one of whom looked like a classic Shaolin monk, a few westerners, and even a beautiful Latin American woman, dressed in a tank-top and light slacks. Their faces had varied expressions and emotions as they evaluated him, but one thing was certain: all of Akari's and Kiami's talk of masters obviously began and ended with these individuals, and they had been fully truthful. This was obviously a world as frightening as the deepest realms of magic….

"You are also quite impressive, Kenjirô-_dono_," Hikaru said to the _hanyô_. "The killing intent wasn't directed at you, yet you still should have been at least stunned by all that _ki_, yet you seem…unmoved…."

"No, not unmoved," Kenjirô said after a moment's pause—likely trying to remind himself that Hikaru hadn't met him yet, at least not today (Kain was unaware, but Hikaru was the third roommate of Kajirô and Kenjirô). "I was excited by it. I'm used—no, that's not the right word, it's too impressive for that—but I've _longed_ for this feeling. I was born a child of war, and all I wish is to test myself in that world."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then you would get on well in Akasôryû, I suppose…."

On impulse, Kain turned back to Hinagiku…who had apparently been stunned by the amount of _ki_ directed at them. Hinagiku was an exceptional young woman, an expert in all she undertook, but completely confined to a 'normal' world before Kain's coming. She had a strong will and mind, and she was a skilled practitioner of _kendô_, but she had never experienced anything like this 'killing intent', and evidently she had been…unsettled. Kain's noticing of her seemed to rouse her from her daze, and she grabbed Akari and pulled her aside. "Akari-_san_," she hissed at the girl, "_what_ is this? Who are these people?"

"Ah, forgive us," said the well-dressed Japanese woman, approaching. She bowed slightly. "We are the masters of the Three Schools of Yokohama, those who pursue the truest truths of martial arts. Our children—Tsukino Hikaru, Heiro Akari, and Tsukimori Kiami—invited us here for your Festival and, as has been our tradition, we came. We have often enjoyed Mahora Academy's festivities, and we have great respect for this school, which is why we send our children here to school themselves."

"Ah…right…" Hinagiku murmured, her questions replaced by new ones.

"A-ahem," Akari agreed, trying to compose herself. "As the…president of the Martial Arts Mastery Society, I should explain….

"This club was founded by the members of the Three Schools of Yokohama, the _dôjôs_ of Seitenryû, Hokushinryû, and Akasôryû, because they have trained at a level of martial arts far above those practiced by normal middle- and high-school children. It is, as it says, a society that pursues the path of true mastery of martial arts, similar to the philosophies of the three _dôjôs_ from whence we came."

"And you're the president of this club now, Akari-_san_?" Kain asked, surprised. "Why you?"

"Ah, well…because I lost at rock-paper-scissors…."

"Lost?" Kenjirô demanded.

"All of us wish to perfect our martial arts, but none of us wants to be responsible for leading this endeavor," Hikaru said with a laugh. "We're all still students, after all, mere followers, so Akari-_chan_, Kiami-_chan_ and I used _janken_ to see who would be left with the responsibility. Akari-_chan_ lost, yes…."

"A-anyway," Akari continued, blushing, "we don't care what martial arts are used here…we simply seek to truly perfect them. And whenever we have a public Mahora event, our masters like to come by and observe our progress.

"A-and now, Kain-_sensei_…as my student, I asked you to give a presentation for the club…?"

"Ah, yes…I am ready…I think…."

The visitors and club members gathered around the walls of the large _dôjô_ as Kain, his cloak removed, took up his position in its center. "So, what kind of demonstration should I give?" he asked Akari.

"Just show us your _kata_."

The words 'which one?' were on Kain's lips, but he suppressed them in time. He had separately learned six martial arts from Akari, although she taught Brazilian jiu-jitsu and capoeira together, and now the masters of those arts stood before him, and all had to be appeased. Akari fought without really differentiating between them, and so….

He performed a _kata_, a ritualized exercise of practice swings unique to a martial art, beginning with _jûjutsu_ and then flowing effortlessly through the rest of them, turning the six styles into one beautiful dance. There was no applause here, but the power of the presence given off by the masters radiated approval, which was stronger congratulations to him than the most deafening celebration from a full auditorium.

"Well, well," murmured a middle-aged Caucasian man with graying hair, dressed in a loose shirt and slacks. "It seems Akari has more teaching potential than we originally thought…or she has a truly remarkable student. Or perhaps both."

"Indeed," agreed the Shaolin monk. "It is always good for a beginning tutor to be blessed with an exceptional student…it lets them overcome their mistakes and increases their confidence."

The rest of the masters all approached in turn, offering praise and comments to Kain. After this, the group broke off into individual discussions. While Erika, Kenjirô and Hinagiku had the opportunity to spread and mingle at will, Kain was trapped—approached, harassed and inspected by all fifteen of these intimidating masters….

"That was frightening," Kain said when they had finally escaped. "I don't think even Alyssa at her worst is that frightening…."

"If she hears you say that, she'll probably try to prove you wrong, so I wouldn't say that out loud," Erika laughed.

"Y-yeah…."

"I found that quite exhilarating," Kenjirô remarked. "I wasn't aware of just how strong the human world could be. That many masters, all in one place…I suppose I should be glad that they aren't participating in the tournament tonight, but still…I can't help but feel I'd like to face someone like that, just once…."

"Yes, you were talking about a tournament in there," Hinagiku mentioned. "What are you talking about?"

Kain and Kenjirô exchanged a glance, then they finally began to trade off explaining the tournament…while carefully avoiding revealing anything they shouldn't know yet. Kain did offer, "Why don't you come see it tonight, Hina, Erika-_san_? You might even be able to participate…."

Kenjirô gave a dismissive sound. "Hmm, Sendô-_san_, maybe, but Katsura-_san_ is an amateur at real combat. She's not likely to get far, since she's not even a member of the Martial Arts Mastery Society." While Hinagiku scowled and began to prepare a retort, something suddenly occurred to the boy and he turned to Erika. "Say, Tsukimori-_san_ called you a part-timer, Sendô-_san_. What was that about?"

"E-eh? W-well, it's exactly how it sounds…I only have time to attend on occasion…." Erika's tone was familiar—one she assumed when she was treading uncomfortable conversations.

"Even though Katsura-_san_ has time to be your _kaichô_ and the president of the _Kendô_ Club?" Kenjirô pressed.

"N-never mind! Let's go on to the next club!" Erika insisted, pushing forward. Bemused, the other three followed after her.

Now we are at the Mahora Festival (Secret) Cosplay Contest. Don't ask, I didn't name it.

The time was in the early evening, and the location was…a theater at the library. The spacious auditorium was filled, as were the rooms backstage (which were actually part of the library itself)—at the moment, only the stage itself was empty.

Chisame casually observed the groups preparing for the contest. It was, of course, her responsibility, her set-up, and her precious event, but she was not actually participating. Still, she was honoring the cosplay spirit, and was dressed in a kind of pioneer-era lady's dress, not as 'foofy' as the one she had been dragged to the _sakura-_viewing party in, but still one chaste and loose and with far more ties and lacing in it than most modern dresses.

As she considered the contestants—there were still twenty or so minutes to the start of the event, and those she had arranged to run it were still taking names for the event—she heard voices behind her, distracting her…voices that were sickeningly familiar.

"Is there something here?"

"Yes…it should be around here somewhere…."

"Hmm?" Chisame said, turning to the voices.

"Ah, there she is!" Kain exclaimed happily. "Chisa—no, Chiu-_san_!"

"W-w-what!?" she exclaimed in shock at the sight. "Y-you all…!?"

Here came Kain, flanked by Hinagiku, Erika, and Kenjirô.

"W-w-why is _Sensei_ here? And _Kaichô_ too…."

Chisame recovered from her shock, dashed over, grabbed Kain by the wrist, and began to drag him away. "You! Come here for a little bit please!" she declared as she rendered him captive.

His companions watched them go. "Chisame-_san_?" Hinagiku wondered aloud. "What's she doing here? And…what is this event? I don't recall hearing anything about…." She examined the banner hanging proudly by a door frame. "…A cosplay contest. How did Kain-_sensei_ know about it?"

"Hmm…everyone seems pretty excited about it," Kenjirô mentioned, observing the milling crowd of oddly-dressed patrons.

Meanwhile, Chisame was now privately interrogating Kain.

"Kain-_sensei_, what are you doing here?" she demanded. "This is a rogue event that's not even listed in the official program. Regular students and teachers shouldn't know anything about this!"

Kain blinked at her, a surprised look on his face, as if the answer should be obvious. "Why, because you mentioned it on your homepage," he explained patiently. "You boldly announced that you were going to be there, and would never disappoint your fans…."

"W-w-what…my homepage!?" Chisame began to panic. "W-wait, don't tell me…."

"Yes…after that day, I made sure to learn a little more about computers, and I've been checking Chiu's homepage everyday."

"Gah…y-you idiot! What are you doing, sneaking onto other people's homepages as you please!?"

"Because it's something one of my student's has worked very hard on," he remarked. "I feel compelled to support my students as much as I can. And after I started reading it, I found the diary especially was an addictive read…it's actually very thoughtful and philosophical, despite its childish appearance, and it touches on deep subjects. Your work is very impressive, Chisame-_san_."

Chisame began to stutter a reply at this shocking announcement. _('T-this brat of a teacher…I got careless after hearing that he was a computer dummy, but…he's been reading my diary…? E-everyday…!?')_

"So…you're entering the contest, aren't you, Chisame-_san_?" Kain asked beatifically.

"N-no…I'm actually not…."

"It should be starting soon, so let's head back in," Kain insisted, taking her by the wrist this time and pulling her back.

To Kain's surprise he found his party had increased in his absence. "Kain-_sensei_!" Kanade called, waving at him as he approached. "There you are!"

"Yûki-_san_? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I saw you around earlier, and I decided to follow you," she replied happily, demonstrating pride in her stalking activity.

"So, this is an interesting event…I didn't hear of it. A cosplay contest, eh? So did you come to participate?" she continued to babble.

"Oh, no, I'm just here to support it…."

"Ah, of course not," Kanade continued, suddenly cutting him off. "Who wants to see boys strutting around in weird costumes? Obviously, having pretty girls in costumes that make men go mad is the only way to go! Speaking of which," she continued, calming slightly and finally focusing on his captive, "is Chi-_chi_ entering too?"

"No, I'm…."

"Chi-_chi_ has done cosplay before, hasn't she?" Kanade continued, again cutting off the answer she had requested. "Well, we should give you some proper competition today…."

She slunk over and put her arms around Erika's and Hinagiku's shoulders. "Our two beauty queen _kaichôs_ should make this an interesting match, eh? Why don't you two enter?"

"Eh? I-I don't know…." Hinagiku quavered.

"Oh? Hina-_chô_ is afraid she'll lose?" Kanade asked slyly.

The _kaichô_ narrowed her eyes. "Now that…."

"C'mon, you two! It's a chance to show off in front of Kain-_sensei_! Let's see, to enter it seems we have to go this way…."

Kain chuckled as she led the two reluctantly off. He and Kenjirô joined up again and wandered slowly inside, observing the milling crowd of supporters and potential contestants. "How interesting," he observed as he studied the varied costumes.

Chisame, still in Kain's vice-like grip, stumbled along after him. Finally she managed, "Wait a minute…Kain-_sensei_…."

"What is it, Chisame-_san_?"

"Please listen to me. I am _not_ going to enter."

"Eh? Why not?"

"I have no plans to enter a trivial contest like this!"

"With a costume like that?" Kenjirô queried, bemused.

"T-this is normal clothing! I've only come today to observe…."

The trio of girls returned to them. "We're done signing up and getting ready!" Kanade observed. "We signed Chi-_chi_ up, too."

Now Chisame was beginning to enter a whole new realm of wild emotions. _('What kind of reckless thing did these people just do!?')_

She finally paid attention to the costumes Hinagiku and Erika had been prepared in. Erika was dressed as an 'erotic nurse', I suppose would be the best term for it—the 'nurse outfit' white one-piece dress, with the short skirt, long socks, and odd hat. Hinagiku was in girls' gym clothes, t-shirt with 'bloomer' shorts, and _nekomimi_, or cat ears and tail to go along with it.

"The costume-lending shop here let us pick out ones we liked!" Kanade declared, although neither girl seemed as pleased with their outfit as Kanade did.

"Nice…but why these suits?" Kenjirô asked.

As they discussed the matter, Kanade raving about men's fantasies, Chisame began to twitch anew, her professional pride wounded by this display. _('Tsk…that amateur…with this great material, she plans only for a simple cosplay like this? This isn't any normal cosplay event, it's a character cosplay, character! There's no meaning in a shallow cosplay that only satisfies middle-aged men! These idiots! (Although the _nekomimi _with gym clothes isn't too terrible….)')_

"Okay, let's get you in there!" Kanade declared finally, pushing her victims along.

"Wait a minute, you ninnies!" Chisame finally barked. "Even if you go out like that, it's useless! Useless! You'll only embarrass yourselves! Come here, you two!"

This sudden forceful display frightened Kain slightly, and he backed off to make room as Chisame took charge.

"This is a major event! It's useless if you don't go out with better material! I'll lend you some of my clothes and teach you the ropes. If you're entering, aim for the prize! Since you jerks are such good material!"

The next scene cuts to our re-dressed _kaichô_ pair, outfitted now in sailor-suit like magical girl uniforms.

"Oh, Mahô Shojô Bibulion," Kanade remarked, recognizing these particular characters. "Good choice, Chi-_chi_!"

At Chisame's beckoning and command, they made magical girl poses, too.

"Is it okay if we skip the poses?" Erika muttered darkly.

"The poses are very important!" Chisame insisted.

"But it's quite embarrassing," Hinagiku objected.

"How can you be embarrassed if you cosplay?"

"Wow, they're amazing," Kanade remarked happily to the boys. "They're certain to win the big prize."

The pair sighed and turned towards the gathered group of ready contestants. "Well, we better get this over with," Hinagiku muttered. "We're off."

"Thanks for your help, Chisame-_san_," Erika offered politely and earnestly.

Chisame muttered to herself, satisfied, as they left, acknowledging the thanks and taking pride in her work. _('Yes, they are certain to win with the preparation I've given them….')_

She started as the terrible reality of the situation hit her. _('W-wait…what am I doing? I wasn't able to hold back after seeing them! When it comes to cosplay, I just…won't it be bad if my hobbies are discovered?')_

"I'm a bit surprised," Kain remarked happily, as if hearing—and misinterpreting—her thoughts. "The normally reclusive Chisame-_san_, helping her classmates with something like this…."

_('S-shut up! It's your fault for dragging them all here in the first place! I knew it! This brat is my natural enemy!')_

"Chisame-_san_, why aren't you entering?" Kain demanded, changing the subject again. "Isn't this world, the realm of cosplay, your specialty?"

"I-I'm not going to enter something I don't want to enter!"

"That…it sounds like you're a bit confused…."

"You're too persistent, Kain-_sensei_!"

"But…aren't you more than qualified to be in this contest, Chisame-_san_? Your beauty and taste are going to waste here…."

_('Your Don Juan-esque flattery will get you nowhere, you brat_._')_ "You don't know anything, do you, Kain-_sensei_? It's true that Chiu is cute. Just like _Kaichô_ and _Fukukaichô_, who have natural beauty and grace, too. Don't go mixing me in with natural wonders like them. Speaking raw material-wise, I'm very much a plain, regular middle school student." _('Even if my breasts would be pretty good elsewhere, even they don't stand out in this freakish class I was thrown into…Yûki's 'Chi-_chi_' nickname is a terrible one for me….')_

"I can already see what the results will be if I enter," Chisame continued aloud in patient explanation. "My principle is not to enter high-risk matches. Please leave me alone."

"You really think so? But your photos on your homepage are quite stunning…."

_('Those photos were corrected to death! Can't you see that!?')_ "Anyways, why are you so concerned about me!?" she demanded, trying to change the subject.

"It's because I'm your teacher," Kain explained patiently. "I never wanted to be, exactly, I mean, be a teacher at all, but…you could say my principle is to give all I've got to what I'm doing. I…Kenjirô -_kun_ says I'm in serious girl trouble…."

_('Well, anyone with half a brain can see that, and see why….')_

"…but that's not my intent. I'm just trying to take care of my students…and Chisame-_san_ needs it as much as anyone. You never mingle with your classmates, and…I think I can understand why…but I know from experience that you can't just go through this life without some support from others.

"And there's also this…how do I say it…I'm a bit of a fan of Chiu-_san_, I must admit…and I wanted to see her contest for myself…."

This comment brought Chisame up short again. "W-what?"

"No, seriously! Your news articles and such are serious, rather sophisticated! Not what you'd expect from a girl in middle school at all!"

_('You say that when you're no older than me…still…this kid is my fan too, eh? Kukuku…that's not bad….')_

"So, Chisame-_san_, you should enter, too!" Kain insisted, returning to the nagging thorn.

This brought Chisame out of her reverie quickly, naturally. "Eh!? No! I told you, I'm not entering! 'Cause I'll lose!"

"You won't know anything unless you try!" Kanade insisted, finally breaking her silence after gleefully observing this exchange. "Let's get you prepared, too!" She started dragging Chisame off to the stage wings…with help from Kenjirô, for some reason.

"Waaa!? Idiots, stop! Like I already told Kain-_sensei_, I can't face people without my glasses on! I'll ge-ge-get nervous…!"

"If it's Chi-_chi_, it'll be fine!"

"To protect the world's Foundations!

"Bibulio Red Rose!" (Erika.)

"Bibulio Pink Tulip!" (Hinagiku.)

"The two of us together are…Mahô Shojô Bibulion!"

"This is high quality! Number 13, _Fukukaichô_-san! Number 14, _Kaichô_-san!"

Naturally, the crowd was enthusiastic for the two beautiful ladies' performance. Kain also applauded heartily. He had to admit, they were…magnificent….

He tried to shove that thought away and return to objectivity, a task actually made easier since Kamo had finally returned to his shoulder during the recent chaos. Offering any kind of masculine thoughts around Kamo was an invitation to humiliation.

"That was nicely done," Kenjirô admitted. "Those two complained about the poses, but they aren't acting embarrassed at all out there."

Chisame sniffed derisively. _('You don't know anything, you brat. Those two are experts at public demonstrations, being _Kaichô_ and _Fukukaichô_ for so long. They know that real embarrassment is to be seen embarrassed on stage._

_ ('Still…this is aggravating to the extreme. Why do they have to be such high-spec girls!? They complained about it, but they carried out all my instructions perfectly! They adapted so easily…and they're so perfect there, a pair of twin beauties you'll never again see like this! _Fukukaichô_'s golden hair and superior bust—third only behind the monsters Tokiha and Yoshida—only accentuate her natural beauty. And _Kaichô_'s lack of breasts is more than compensated by her exquisite Yamato Nadeshiko beauty, her long limbs and gorgeous thin figure! Damn it, the victory is theirs, and this really isn't a contest anymore…._

_ ('This is why I hate Class 3-A so much! Such outrageous specs and abilities, such natural perfection in all categories, from so many of them…. Don't you two have any shame!?')_

"Thank goodness that's over with," Hinagiku sighed as they entered the wings.

"I don't understand how anyone can find this embarrassment fun to do," Erika added.

_('At least the wenches have the decency to be embarrassed back here…still, it pisses me off that they complain when they have it so easy….')_

"Great, now it's Chi-_chi_'s turn coming up!" Kanade remarked.

"Huh!?"

"No problem! Chi-_chi_'s the real expert, so she'll do fine, right? Let's get you in a suitable costume to go with them…."

"N-no, I'm not going out there!" _(What proof does she have that I'll do fine!? She's so irresponsible!')_ "W-what are you doing now!? Don't forcibly change someone else's clothes…!"

"What are you saying now? Hurry, get changed!"

"N-no, not that one! That costume isn't finished yet!"

"Come on, your turn is coming up quickly!"

Kain averted his eyes from the sudden strip show and distracted himself by asking Kenjirô, "Why did you suddenly pitch in, Kenjirô-_kun_? What stake do you have in this?"

Kenjirô snorted. "You think I wasn't listening, or did you forget I was here the whole time? She said, 'I don't get involved in high-risk battles'. Or whatever, that was the gist of what she said. That struck a nerve in me. You can't live life like that. If she just wants to be safe, she deserves a rude awakening like this…."

And so Chisame was shoved out onto the stage, without her glasses and dressed in a black, 'little devil girl' kind of outfit.

Kanade, who had somehow acquired a microphone, informed the full auditorium that they were now graced by, "Number eighteen, Hasegawa Chisame-_sama_, as the archenemy of Mahô Shojô Bibulion, Rouland Rouge!"

_('You used my real name!? I-idiot dorm supervisor! I'll get you for this!')_

And then she turned to the crowd. She stared at it…at _them_…in shock and horror. Her body went rigid in fright. The overwhelming mass in front of her, focused on her, staring at her, broke down all her armor of unconcern and self-confidence and self-satisfaction. Here, now, she was naked, vulnerable, and helpless, unable even to think of anything except fear….

She tried to stutter out something, but it only turned into noises and finally into an apology. "So-sorry! I-I'm so…rry…."

_('It's useless…my face is completely red…I knew I couldn't stand in front of so many people…._

_ ('Gah, this is so bad! I need to…attract the audience…b-but I don't remember any of the character's lines…this is bad, this is oh so bad…many of Chiu's fans are supposed to be watching this, too….')_

"Chisame-_san_…" Kain muttered from the wings, concern and regret filling him.

"It's okay, just watch," Kamo whispered in his ear.

_('What do I do?') _Chisame thought as she collapsed to her knees, her face buried in her hands, still muttering out plaintive apologies. _('What do I do? I have to do something…. Even when I did it in front of my monitor in my room, I was tense, so why is it this bad in front of these people? If they find out that the real Chiu is a pathetic person like this…ugu…this is all that stupid teacher's fault. And that brat Yûki! Impossible, worthless crap…I'm going to kill both of them! Gu…they're…the worst….')_

"…_Kawaii_…."

"…Eh?"

The crowd had been murmuring, but that light exclamation of 'cute' had come out strong, and it was the first stream of water before the dam broke. The audience burst into approval, with applause, more cries of '_kawaii'_ and many more of _'moe!' _A few even called out Chiu's name. Chisame looked up, her tears dried and her eyes wide in shock at this display of acceptance. "…Eh? Huh…?"

"Wonderful!" cried the regular announcer, who had seemingly retrieved his microphone from the thief. "Number eighteen! While playing the role of the enemy, you also represented the shy crybaby no-good character wonderfully! The audience is also quite appreciative!"

Chisame could hardly believe what had happened to her, but the cheers dried up more than her tears at record pace. _('Ah…that's right…that kind of works…so, they accept me like this? That's right, the basics are also fine…most importantly, it seems I hit the audience's needs right on the spot…Fufufu….')_

And the winner was, unanimously, number 18, Chisame Hasegawa. She proudly accepted the small but beautiful trophy provided for the competition.

The interfering group congratulated her as she returned to the wings. She half-smiled and half-glared at them…rather, gave them the cracked forced smile of the brutally angry. "Yes, thanks to you pushy people, especially you, you unreasonable, incorrigible _Sensei_!"

"Eh…s-sorry…."

"But…" Chisame continued, straightening, calming, turning her eyes away, and flushing slightly, "for now, I'll give you my gratitude. The School Festival was always boring for me, but…well…being forced into this contest, and actually winning…gave me a little pleasure, at least…."

_('Oh well…for the moment the stupid teacher seems to be my fan, too, and I should be kinder to my fans….')_

"In any case," she finally hissed to Kain, "please don't tell anyone about today's event, got it!? Not a soul! Promise me! I can't have word of it getting around!"

There wasn't much to fear about it, she finally decided. The one she was most worried about blabbing was Kanade, but when she finally got up the courage to approach her about it, she seemed quite cognizant of Chisame's concern. "Oh, of course I won't say anything. If I go telling everyone about it, there probably won't be anymore fun events like this, right?"

Kain and Kenjirô, alone, escaped while Erika and Hinagiku went in search of the approaching tournament. "Ah, what a day," Kain remarked, staggering. "I'm exhausted…."

"I should think so, after all those time trips you've taken," Kamo chuckled. "You've been up over twenty-four hours now. That's not good for growing boys, even teenagers."

"Jeez…really that long, Kain?"

"Y-yeah…I guess so…."

"Maybe we could find somewhere to give you a quick nap before the finishing party. And then maybe we should hit Alyssa-_san_'s place before the tournament tomorrow morning, so we can fully recover."

"That sounds good…."

Kenjirô stared at Kain for a while as they headed for the relative safety of Kain's room. "I have to apologize, Kain."

Kain turned to him in surprise. "Kenjirô…_kun_…?"

"I have been out of line recently, nagging you about your girl troubles. I guess…well, you're still an idiot, causing so many problems, but I can understand now why you can't help ending up that way after following you around through all your classes. This manner of kindness…it's just you, I guess. I shouldn't judge you harshly about it. And I shouldn't obsess over how it may or may not affect your fighting, either."

"T-thanks, Kenjirô…"

"No, it's nothing." He sighed and stretched. "Even for me it's been a busy day, and I've only experienced it twice. Let's get some rest, enjoy your little party and get ready for the real fun tomorrow. That's going to be a real amazing day…."

Kenjirô had no idea just how prophetic his words were….

Scritch, scratch, scritch, scratch. While her roommates slept, the seemingly little girl worked her pen over the paper.

Akari and Kiami were asleep in their beds, exhausted from the day's work and the night's festivities that had, in usual 3-A fashion, continued long into the night and even the early morning. Sakura, too, had spent quite a lot of her energy during the day, but there was no time for rest yet…not if she wanted to accomplish everything she needed to do before she was gone.

Time…she winced at a sensation that was not exactly pain, but significant all the same, and she looked down at her left hand, which began to grow transparent and fade from existence for several long seconds before becoming, once again, regular flesh and blood—at least by sight. Yes…not exactly pain, but something far more horrible as the sensation of feeling, of touch, of connection to that hand was suddenly completely severed. Yes, she had no choice. Even with all her power, she had no more time. "So…even with the tree, just over two years is my limit. Still, the trip has been worth it, just to be able to learn that…."

She continued writing with her odd instrument of choice, a quill pen dipped in a true inkwell. The paper she used was paper, and not animal skin parchment, but it was thicker and rougher than the fine paper favored by the late 20th/early 21st century humans. It was her preference—her father was raised using thin-lead mechanical pencils and her mother used ink with small, thin brushes, but to her romantic soul, there was just something invigorating about the use of the writer's quill, about turning a natural spidery line into a flowing work of art….

She glanced out the window at the moon, waxing heavily. On that night, it would be a perfect full moon…so poetic, so perfect….

That was still the future, still to come. Before then, she still had work to do.

She turned back, finished the letter, and set it aside before taking up the next one. Addressing a new name, she continued her work long into the night.

_Author's Note: Character Introduction: The Masters of Yokohama_

_ Well, here we are, one day into the Festival! This Act was fairly short, but I like the idea of using the ending of each day as the finale for each Act. The next two will likely both be very big, so I guess that kind of makes up for this._

_ One of the best parts of this chapter is Chisame's cosplay contest. This marks the beginning of Chisame's involvement in her teacher's world…we'll see where this leads soon. As usual, there was embarrassment skipped at the end…Chisame's half-finished costume has a loose thread that the inquisitive Kôtarô finds and pulls, which causes the costume to come off (while Chisame is still on stage), unveiling her to the audience in only a black bra and panties, further traumatizing her. This event is what _really_ sets off Chisame's fierce (almost maniacal) insistences to Negi that he never mention the evening to anyone. I decided to spare her this embarrassment…she's still concerned (just as she was in the original) with her secret life being widely disclosed, after all._

_ In the original piece, Negi's overwork is demonstrated more, especially when he goes visiting clubs with _Iinchô_. The subplot (before arriving at Chisame's) is that the crazy Ayaka, the 'night before' (that is, before for Negi, future for her) told Negi that she'd had the most _amazing_ time with him that day, and he freaked out over this future knowledge, naturally. He wanted to show her a great time and make sure that event actually came to pass, but his fatigue got the better of him, and he ended up falling asleep with his head in her lap on a random bench somewhere. Naturally, to the _shotacon_, this constituted heaven, thus, Negi's mission was fulfilled, although he did not understand why. No chance for that here, really, since I punted the _shotacon iinchô_,_ _but having him spend time with Erika and Hinagiku instead worked just as well…and they made a great team to bring into the cosplay contest too. In the original, Ayaka is joined there by Makie, who is a markedly more 'cute' character than her normal replacement Kaoru. However, this is another area where the two (Hinagiku and Erika, that is) are quite similar and their personality similarities make the area harder to work—Ayaka and Makie are both enthusiastic idiots in love with Negi, so when he cheerfully suggests they participate, they cluelessly but loyally leap to do it. Erika and Hinagiku aren't that crazy. They are both superwomen used to public displays, as Chisame noted, but they hate embarrassing situations like cosplay, so they complain, but they, being so steely-nerved, are well-prepared to do what they need to. Since they needed a pusher, and Kain isn't quite that pushy, Kanade was roped into being the driver of this event…this created a small problem of letting a blabbermouth figure Chisame out, but as I worked it into the story, she's not a total idiot, and she knows that blabbing could ruin further chances at _fun_._

_ Ah, and readers may suspect that Kain seems amazingly forward here. I agree; it seems he is surprisingly aggressive when dealing with Chisame. However, this is just following the original as usual—Negi is also usually reserved but suddenly dominating when dealing with Chisame. Perhaps Negi—and, by default, Kain—knows that it's the only way to get Chisame to do anything, so he forces himself to force her. Regardless, she will eventually have some revenge on that score…._

_ So, let's move on to the second best part of this chapter…the masters of the Three Schools, brought to us in all their HSDK-copy glory._

_ The first school, Seitenryû, features the swordsman Hikaru Tsukino as its student and consists of…._

_ Kim Ban Yong, Master of Strategy and Taekwondo. The Korean is a world champion in all strategy games, including (since he is Korean) StarCraft. Calm and reserved and super intelligent and hard-working, he is a stereotypical Asian in those regards._

_ Zhou Xiang, Spiritual Shaolin Master. A standard Shaolin monk, Zhou is very quiet and laid-back, but very understanding of all things around him…he probably understands quite a lot about magic just from exceptional perception and observation on his part._

_ Serge Devaux, Insightful Gentleman of Savate. The French gentleman is dressed like a late 19__th__ Century French nobleman, complete with…sword-cane, of course, and the thin mustache. 'Gentleman' describes him very well. While, being French, he is perhaps the most outgoing member of this school, he is not quite so romantic as the stereotypical French._

_ Hitomi Takeda, Flexible Practitioner of Aikijûjutsu and the Bow. A Japanese noble lady, a descendant of the famous Takeda family. She gets little time to practice it, but she is a master of _kyûjutsu_ (bow techniques) in addition to _aikijûjutsu_ and many other arts as well, such as cooking, sewing, calligraphy and far more. Like most of her comrades, she is quite calm and quiet most of the time._

_ Kyomaru Heishiro, Modern Sword Battôsai. A modern Japanese _samurai_, he is a master of the sword, including _iaijutsu_ (drawing, striking, and returning the blade all in an instant), _battôjutsu_ (striking from the draw) and even _nitôryû_ (dual-wielding, basically). Like the legendary Musashi, he actually prefers the _bokken_ as a weapon, but as a true samurai, he respects his sword as well._

_ I originally envisioned three schools with five masters so I could give the option for a wider variety of martial arts, since five masters per dôjô is about perfect in number. I separated them into different sections by giving a different philosophy to each…making essentially a 'light', 'neutral', and 'dark' dôjô. Seitenryû is the light dôjô, the lawful good dôjô, those who appreciate the sport of the skill and pursue its mastery simply in order to better themselves. As they are so good and 'pure', they actually tend to be rather boring by comparison, and since their student Hikaru has only just appeared and won't be a major player, we'll likely hardly deal with them, either. In fact, these characters are remarkably 'generic', with little base behind them. As their creator, I like them, but they are defined by their martial arts more than anything._

_ The second school, Hokushinryû, is the home of Akari Heiro and features…._

_ Feilong Quan, Modern Perfector of Bruce Lee's Legacy. As his title suggests, Feilong is a Chinaman who seeks to emulate the master of all masters, having followed in his footsteps in learning many different arts as a base to master jeet kune do, and even having been a kung fu movie actor (rather famous, in fact). He is also, naturally, heavily adapted from Street Fighter's Feilong._

_ Keisuke Ogata, Philosophical Jûjutsu Master. Shigure Kôsaka was, overall, my favorite master in HSDK, but Koetsuji Akisame was a close second, and I made the master of jûjutsu nearly his carbon copy. Like Hitomi, he is a master of many arts (and their similar styles and interests partially arose from them being childhood friends), especially sculpting and bone surgery, and while he is caring and intelligent (and a fabulous inventor) he is a harsh, almost cruel teacher._

_ Bruce McTavish, Invincible Perverted Krav Maga Expert. Created almost entirely for Ryan, who was obsessed with the Krav Maga martial art. Since he was made exclusively for him, I gave him the name of the intriguing hero of Call of Duty 4, 'Soap' McTavish, making him a retired SIS agent from England. He is a '_hentai_', reading dirty magazines and making moves on females constantly. As a Brit, however, he finds going after underage girls offensive, and has no reaction to high school girls, a twist on anime-style _hentai_ characters that I find very amusing, since most of the time they never seem to care about age._

_ Michael Neil Armstrong, Passionate Boxer of Pedigree. Based on one of our favorite over-the-top characters, Maj—I mean, Master Armstrong is a loud, overbearing and, yes, passionate American boxer, from a wealthy, fabulous family, gifted with many talents, all of which have been 'passed down the Armstrong family for generations'. 'Nuff said, right?_

_ Gracia Peres, Exotic Dancing Leaf of Brazil. Although they're entirely different, I had Gracia be Brazilian so that she could cover both of its martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and capoeira. BJJ is a modern martial art, adapted from _jûjutsu_ and other grappling techniques, but focusing on the legs—rather unique, in fact, with its leg grapples. Capoeira is also heavily leg-focused, but with kicks, and it is a style adapted from native dances of slaves. Gracia is the only one of this dôjô who is not based on another character, but I had a lot of fun designing her, perhaps in subconscious self-defense so that her more well-developed comrades wouldn't overshadow her. She loves to party (I have met them and can confirm: Brazilians _love_ to party), loves to drink, loves to dance and romance, and she doubles as a witchdoctor who makes suspect but very effective potions (allowable since capoeira has legendary witchdoctor roots)._

_ Hokushinryû is the school that most closely matches the original Ryôzanpaku, which is one of the reasons for its most obvious copy (Keisuke), and its abundance of strong, heavily-adapted characters. Its masters believe in pursuing the art for the sake of the art itself, mastering their styles because it is the only way to respect the skills they have learned. Alignment-wise, you could consider them Neutral Good…they still practice _katsujinken_, or the fist of life, meaning that they believe martial arts are not for killing._

_ The third school was originally called Yôhôryû, but I, lacking my notes when I started writing this story, had to come up with a new name (I couldn't remember the original) and eventually used Akasôryû. Its student is Kiami Tsukimori (originally Kiami Soten, but again I didn't have my notes for the campaign at the time; by this point, of course, I had recovered them, but decided it wasn't worth it to make corrections). Its masters:_

_ Hachan Tochaia, Brutal Assassin of Muay Thai. Although I loved Apachai Hopachai, the Thai master of HSDK, I didn't want his silliness in this, especially since he and his brutal art were going to the most brutal school. I kind of pictured him originally as a not-quite-so-evil Sagat, a brutal fighter as befitting a…truly brutal sport. However, after reading even more of Kenichi, I like him as a fighter kind of like Yami's Muay Thai master, Agaard Jum Sai, a rather cheerful and pleasant guy who nonetheless is a…again, brutal is the best word, fighter. He's not soft and silly and foolish, but…yeah, cheerful, mostly friendly, but delightedly savage in combat._

_ Kôtarô Hakami, Merciless Iron Fist of Karate. Since he's from a somewhat darker school, this _karate_ master is somewhat rougher and more dangerous that HSDK's Shio Sakaki. Still, it's a good mold to start with. Surly, a drinker, and, yes, merciless, he's a rough fighter who loves to fight, but only dangerous around truly worthy foes…and the lack of them in abundance makes him grumpier._

_ Bao Hanfu, Dark Master of Kung Fu. Again, like the HSDK master of the art—Ma Kensei in this instance—but…darker. Bao Hanfu isn't as ridiculously _hentai_ as Ma was (we already have McTavish for that anyway), but he _will_ harass the teenagers and take compromising, embarrassing and, yes, criminal pictures of them, and he's somewhat lazy…but a deadly fighter when aroused to anger. Be wary of him._

_ The Shadowy Kunoichi, Ninjutsu's Aki Tanaka, Fu-Ma Jônin. Somewhat, again, based on Shigure from HSDK, but only a little; she is mostly unique, a dark, heartless _ninja_ who is fiercely protective of Kiami. She has mastered many weapons and the unarmed _taijutsu_ art, and generally stays in the background, like all good ninja._

_ Kaiji Natsumi, Tyrant Champion of Sumo. His base was HSDK's Thor, a teenager (more or less) and member of the first enemy group, the delinquent party Ragnorak. His goal was to spread the sport of 'combat _sumo_' to the entire world, and Kaiji is designed along the same lines. A champion _sumotori_, he has far exceeded the sporting limits of the art and is disgusted with its perception in the world. His mission is to prove that _sumo_ is an art as great and deadly as any other, and he is a ruthless teacher to those willing to follow that goal with him._

_ This group is the 'dark' party, and could be defined as Chaotic Good. They believe in martial arts as nothing more than a tool to use in accomplishing one's desires, whatever they are. Still, they are all followers of the philosophy of _katsujinken_, and are not designed to be villains—all three schools are rivals of differing philosophies, but they are friends/rivals, really, who quite respect each other. The villains are truly evil, followers of _satsujinken_, who believe that martial arts are weapons for killing enemies and that this ideal has tragically been lost in this day and age…just like in HSDK. Still, I wanted to shy from the darker side, so I didn't develop them quite as much, instead making them all (generally darker) adaptations from similar masters in HSDK._

_ I would like to have at least some of these characters do a little bit before the end of the Festival, make their mark…but naturally I don't have the room or time to include all of them. However, expect a few appearances from Akari's collection, at least—especially since they're my favorites._

_ Okay, that's enough on mostly meaningless characters. On to the Act 5!_


End file.
